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RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 


This  Edition  de  Luxe  is  limited 
to  One  Hundred  Copies 


RECORDS  OF  THE 
CHASE 

AND 

MEMOIRS    OF   CELEBRATED 
SPORTSMEN 

ILLUSTRATING    SOME    OF 

THE   USAGES  OF  OLDEN    TIMES 

AND 

COMPARING    THEM    WITH    PREVAILING 
CUSTOMS 

By 

CECIL 


BRENTANOS 

NEW  YORK 


Made  and  Printed  in  Great  Britain 


FOREWORD 

The  first  edition  of  this  book,  a  small  thick  octavo, 
appeared  in  1854;  and  in  1877  a  second  edition,  also 
in  small  octavo,  "  thoroughly  revised,'*  was  put 
forth.  The  preface  to  the  second  edition  reads  as 
follows : — 

"  Since  the  publication  of  the  first  edition 
numerous  changes  in  hunting  countries  have  taken 
place ;  some  have  been  divided  and  new  ones  con- 
stituted. Many  masters  of  hounds  have  resigned 
— fresh  ones  have  been  installed,  and  a  sad  number 
have  paid  the  debt  of  nature.  All  the  subjects 
connected  with  these  events  have  been  carefully  in- 
vestigated by  the  Author  with  scrupulous  attention 
to  accuracy,  and  he  trusts  his  readers  will  favour- 
ably appreciate  his  labours." 

The  Author's  additions  to  this  second  edition 
amount  to  nearly  10,000  words — of  small  and  often 
trivial  detail;  and  the  sum  effect  of  them  is  to 
render  the  book  verbose  and  tedious.  In  the  first 
edition  Cecil  set  out  to  write  a  conspectus  of  fox- 
hunting, and  admirably  he  succeeded :  in  the  second 
edition  he  lost  sight  of  his  original  design  and,  being 
anxious  only  to  bring  the  book  up-to-date,  ex- 
panded it  into  a  voluminous  catalogue  of  masters. 
The  result  is  that  the  second  edition  is  neither 
so  readable  nor,  to-day,  useful.  To  prepare  a  third 
edition  which  should  contain  the  large  amount  of 
historical  information  concerning  the  various  packs 
and  their  masters  that  has  come  to  light  in  recent 
years  through  the  publication  of  monographs  and 


vi.  Foreword 

memoirs,  would  indeed  be  a  labour  of  Hercules. 
It  would  expand  the  book  to  several  volumes  and 
would  obliterate  all  vestiges  of  Cecil's  original 
work.  The  Editor  has  thought  it  best,  there- 
fore, to  reproduce  Cecil's  first  edition,  confining 
his  editorial  activities  to  correcting  the  quotations 
from  Beckford  and  Somerville,  to  comparing  the 
extracts  from  The  Master  of  Game  with  Mr. 
Baillie-Grohman's  edition  of  that  work  and  amend- 
ing them  accordingly,  and  to  expunging  some  of 
the  commas  with  which  the  first  printer  had  so 
liberally  besprinkled  the  book.  He  has  also  broken 
up  most  of  the  longer  paragraphs. 

With  regard  to  the  extracts  from  The  Master  of 
Game  (which  Cecil  wrongly  assigns  to  Edmund  of 
Langley),  the  transcript  which  our  Author  used  was 
faulty  at  times  ;  e.g.  Cecil  has  "  Duke  of  Teyne  " 
for  Duke  of  Guienne  ;  "  hem,"  the  ancient  form  of 
"  them,"  he  renders  "  him";  mote  he  spells  "  note," 
lymers  "  lymes,"  lodges  "  logs,"  rally  "  relay,"  etc. 
All  these  things  the  Editor  has  corrected  from 
Mr.  Baillie-Grohman's  book  and  has  added  in  foot- 
notes the  meanings  of  obsolete  words. 

It  was  the  Editor's  intention  at  first  to  add  a 
number  of  notes ;  but  on  second  thoughts  he 
decided  that  to  annotate  the  work  would,  again,  be 
to  destroy  its  character.  At  present  it  is  eminently 
readable,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  in  its  present 
shape  it  will  give  pleasure  to  many  who  have  not 
yet  made  Cecil's  acquaintance  or  have  read  him  so 
long  ago  that  this  book  is  to  all  intents  a  new  one. 

Four  illustrations  from  old  prints  have  been 
added. 


PREFACE   TO   THE   FIRST 
EDITION 

The  great  popularity  which  the  Chase  has  acquired 
renders  it  a  subject  of  vast  interest  to  a  large  bodj^ 
of  the  community  ;  and  I  have  endeavoured  to 
embody  in  these  pages  such  incidents  in  reference 
to  its  origin,  progress,  and  present  state,  as,  I 
humbly  conceive,  may  at  once  gratify  curiosity  and 
afford  amusement. 

An  account  of  the  habits  of  the  crafty  fox,  and 
the  origin  of  the  sagacious,  faithful  hound,  will,  I 
trust,  be  perused  with  interest. 

The  memoirs  of  some  of  the  most  celebrated 
sportsmen  whose  talent  has  added  grace  to  the 
'Noble  Science'  will  show  the  zeal  with  which  our 
forefathers  entered  into  the  sport ;  and  the  descrip- 
tion of  some  of  the  most  fashionable  hunting 
countries  may  serve  to  entertain  the  sportsman  on  a 
frosty  day,  or  beguile  the  time  when  he  makes  the 
steam-engine  his  covert  hack ;  while  they  will  im- 
part to  the  stranger  some  idea  of  the  country  in 
which  he  is  about  to  seek  his  sylvan  pastime. 

Without  attempting  to  enter  into  the  mystic 
details  of  kennel  management  or  the  intricate  duties 
of  the  huntsman  in  the  field,  we  have  thrown  out  a 
few  hints  which  may  perhaps  prove  useful  to  the 
uninitiated. 


Vll. 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

Gone  Away  ! Frontispiece 

The  Draw page     64 

In  Full  Cry „      144 

The  Death „      240 


IX. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER 
I. 

The  Origin  of  Hunting 

PAGE 

I 

11. 

The  First  Foxhounds 

21 

III. 

Masters  and  Privileges 

31 

IV. 

The  Origin  of  Hounds 

41 

V. 

Instinct  and  Foxes 

51 

VI. 

The  Fame  of  Leicestershire 

78 

VII. 

The  Shires  .... 

104 

VIII. 

Beaufort  and  Badminton    . 

124 

IX. 

Cheltenham  and  V.W.H. 

140 

X. 

Sporting  Shropshire 

160 

XI. 

Hampshire    .... 

190 

XII. 

Staghounds 

209 

XIII. 

Railways  and  Hunting 

218 

XIV. 

Scent  and  Seasons 

236 

XV. 

Habits  and  Customs     . 

252 

XVI. 

Sport  and  Character  . 

266 

XVII. 

The  Objects  of  Hunting     . 

282 

XI. 


RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 


CHAPTER  I 

THE     ORIGIN     OF    HUNTING 

Whatever  period  we  select  to  investigate  the  manners, 
customs,  and  occupations  of  the  human  race,  we  find 
that  hunting  has  formed  a  prominent  and  interesting 
portion  of  their  engagements.  There  are  two  conspicu- 
ous causes  from  which  the  origin  of  the  chase  may  be 
traced — one,  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  food ;  the 
other,  that  of  destroying  ferocious  or  noxious  beasts. 
The  fox  is  the  only  one  remaining  in  Great  Britain 
originally  included  in  the  latter  category;  a  classifica- 
tion in  which  it  is  scarcely  consistent  to  retain  him,  now 
that  the  pursuit  of  that  animal  has  become  one  of  our 
principal  and  most  popular  national  amusements. 
Hunting  is  not  confined  to  the  civilised  portion  of  man- 
kind ;  it  still  continues  to  be  the  engagement  of  the  un- 
cultivated savage,  as  a  means  of  obtaining  sustenance. 
It  is  a  fact  worthy  of  remark,  which  we  derive  from 
ancient  history,  that  as  the  prosperity  of  any  country 
has  increased,  gymnastic  exercises  and  sporting  enter- 
prises have  flourished ;  and  whenever  they  were  aban- 
doned, luxury,  idleness,  and  debauchery  obtained  a 
footing.  As  evidence  of  the  great  estimation  in  which 
he  held  field  sports,  Alexander  the  Great  commanded  the 
renowned  Aristotle  to  write  a  treatise  on  the  subject, 
for  which  he  was  compensated  with  a  large  sum  of 
money  from  the  treasury.  During  the  reign  of  the 
Emperor  Severus,  who  built  the  Picts  Wall  in  England, 
Appianus  wrote  four  books  on  hunting.  Grotius  studied 
the  same  subject,  more  intimately  connected  with  the 
sport  of  coursing.  Nemesianus,  likewise,  wrote  some 
poems    on    hunting,    and    many    other   classic    authors 

A 


2  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

devoted  their  talents  and  labours  to  a  similar  purpose. 
That  our  m.anh'^  sports  have  been  considered  worthy 
the  pens  of  the  most  able  ^vriters  of  their  respective 
ages,  cannot  be  refuted ;  and  their  appreciations  must 
be  received  as  evidence  of  the  importance  with  which 
these  sports  were  regarded. 

The  manner  of  conducting  field  sports  has  varied  very 
considerably  at  different  periods,  not  only  with  reference 
to  the  customs  which  have  been  obsierved  in  the  pursuit 
of  animals  of  the  same  kind,  but,  taking  into  account 
the  great  numbers  which  in  the  feudal  ages  infested 
our  wilds  and  forests,  and  the  essential  differences  in 
the  habits  of  those  creatures,  it  was  evidently  impera- 
tive to  approach  and  pursue  them  with  various  strata- 
gems. The  sturdy  bristly  boar  and  ferocious  wolf 
could  not  be  secured  on  the  same  terms  as  the  fleet 
and  bounding  deer,  or  the  more  cautious,  timid  hare. 
Hunting  was  an  expression  evidently  not  confined  to 
the  pursuit  of  any  particular  animals ;  every  creature, 
from  the  active  squirrel  to  the  sullen  wild  boar,  was,  if 
found  in  the  woods,  considered  a  suitable  subject  for 
exercising  the  talent  and  feeding  the  passion — amor 
venandi — of  the  hunter.  The  term  hunting  in  those 
days  took  a  wide  range ;  for  it  was  used  to  signify  the 
pursuit  and  destruction,  by  any  means  that  could  be 
devised,  of  any  of  the  wild  natives  of  the  woods  calcu- 
lated for  food,  or  of  the  ferocious  ones  whose  presence 
was  dangerous  and  annoying.  But  the  word  in  its 
present  acceptation  is  confined  to  chasing  animals  with 
hounds. 

Without  being  able  to  describe  from  personal 
experience  the  customs  connected  with  "La  Chasse " 
in  France,  as  pursued  at  the  present  time,  the  accounts 
with  which  we  are  favoured  by  various  friends,  both 
orally  and  in  print,  savour  vastly  of  those  which  we 
read  of  in  the  earliest  ages.  Whether  it  be  the  boar,  the 
stag,  or  the  wolf,  a  few  hounds  only  are  cast  off  in 
seaxch  ;  the  body  of  the  pack,  as  we  should  call  it, 
being  kept  in  reserve  till  the  game  is  fairly  roused  from 


THE  NEW  FOREST  3 

his  resting-place.  This  is  no  doubt  a  necessarj'^  pro- 
ceeding with  hounds  which  are  kept  for  the  purpose  of 
hunting  various  animals,  and  especially  in  strong 
woods  difficult  of  access  to  man  and  horse.  Neverthe- 
less these  practices,  no  doubt,  might  be  amended,  to 
what  extent  I  will  not  presume  to  state ;  but  if  hounds 
were  kept  to  the  chase  of  one  kind  of  animal  only, 
properly  attended  by  skilful  whippers-in,  there  is  no 
doubt  they  would  find  their  game,  whether  stag,  boar, 
or  wolf,  with  as  much  certainty  as  our  hounds  do  the 
fox ;  and  they  would  unquestionably  be  steadier  in 
chase  than  they  are  under  the  present  management. 
The  French  custom  of  destroying  the  animal  with 
spears,  guns,  or  swords,  whenever  opportunity  offers, 
while  the  hounds  are  in  pursuit,  is  precisely  similar  to 
that  of  the  ancients,  excepting  that  before  the  use  of 
fire-arms,  spears,  swords,  or  bows  and  arrows  were  the 
weapons  of  destruction. 

Fox-hunting  is  an  amusement  almost  exclusively 
confined  to  this  nation.  To  identify  the  precise  period 
when  it  was  first  conducted  according  to  the  prevailing 
system  of  the  present  century,  would  be  an  impossi- 
bility, and  indeed  it  is  quite  evident  that  it  has  under- 
gone many  gradations  and  changes.  We  have  authentic 
testimony  that  William  the  Conqueror  brought  with 
him  to  these  shores  an  inordinate  appetite  for  the 
chase,  and  the  laws  which  he  established  in  order  to 
pursue  his  pleasure,  by  dispossessing  the  poor  peasants 
of  their  abodes  in  the  New  Forest  to  render  that  wide 
tract  of  land  an  arena  for  royal  amusement,  were  such 
as  a  tyrant  ruler  only  would  have  attempted ;  but 
hunting  foxes  formed  no  part  of  his  diversion.  This 
regal  prerogative,  although  modified,  existed  during  a 
period  of  nearly  800  years;  for  it  was  only  during  the 
enlightened  reign  of  our  amiable  and  beloved  Queen 
that  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  forest  were 
abandoned  by  the  Crown.  The  death  of  the  Conqueror's 
successor,  William  Rufus,  by  the  discharge  of  an  arrow 
levelled  at  a  sta^   in   the  aforesaid  forest,  is   a  circura- 


4  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

stance  so  universally  known  that  it  would  not  be 
worthy  of  remark  except  for  the  purpose  of  comparing 
the  deer-stalking  of  the  present  times  with  the  kind  of 
hunting,  as  it  was  termed,  when  those  primitive 
weapons  the  bow  and  arrow  were  made  use  of.  The 
invention  of  fire-arms,  and  the  numerous  improve- 
ments that  have  been  introduced,  render  the  rifle  in 
practised  hands  a  most  unerring  implement ;  armed 
with  which,  the  amusement  of  deer-stalking  still  main- 
tains its  supremacy  with  Royalty. 

The  early  annals  of  the  chase  are  imperfect  in  detail, 
but  still  we  have  quite  sufficient  authority  for  the  con- 
viction that  it  was  pretty  generally  followed  as  an  amuse- 
ment by  sovereigns  and  the  nobles  of  England  from  the 
reign  of  the  Conqueror  to  the  present  time.  As  feudal 
usages  passed  away,  as  the  sunshine  of  civilisation 
gained  ascendancy,  as  landed  property  became  more 
generally  diffused  and  independence  assumed  a  footing, 
hunting,  which  was  previously  enjoyed  exclusively  by 
royalty,  the  nobility  and  their  retainers,  gradually 
became  an  amusement  for  all  classes. 

I  have  met  with  a  very  old  and  curious  treatise  on 
hunting,  in  the  possession  of  a  gentleman  of  ancient 
family,  for  many  years  residing  in  Herefordshire,  and  a 
true  lover  of  sporting.  The  book,  although  the  leaves 
are  of  vellum,  encased  in  oak  boards,  by  the  ravages  of 
time  is  slightly  mutilated — that  is,  the  title-page  is 
wanting;  but  I  have  no  doubt  it  is  the  production  of 
Edmund  de  Langley,  one  of  the  sons  of  Edward  the 
Third,  Earl  of  Cambridge  and  afterwards  Duke  of 
York.*  The  writing  is  well  executed,  and  it  may  no 
doubt  be  received  as  one  of  the  best  authorities  descrip- 
tive of  the  chase  as  it  was  followed  during  the  period 
when  the  book  was  composed.  It  would  be  difficult  to 
assign  a  precise  date  to  this  work ;  it  is  sufficient  to 
state  that  it  must  have  been  written  about  the  close  of 

*  '  Cecil '  is  wrong  here.  '  The  Master  of  Game '  was  compiled  by 
Edward,  second  Duke  of  York,  grandson  of  Edward  III,  and  son  of 
Edmund  of  Langley.      [f.d.] 


THE  MASTER  OF  GAME  5 

the  fourteenth  century,  prior  to  the  invention  of  the  art 
of  printing.  Many  of  the  customs  relative  to  the  treat- 
ment of  hounds  and  the  observances  in  the  field,  which 
are  mentioned  in  the  work,  continue  in  practice.  The 
numerous  abbreviations,  together  with  curiously  formed 
characters,  render  it  difficult  to  decipher,  especially  as 
several  of  the  terms  made  use  of  are  nearly  obsolete ; 
but  as  I  feel  assured  a  few  extracts  from  such  a  quaint 
and  scarce  work  will  be  received  with  interest  by  the 
lovers  of  research  into  ancient  customs,  I  make  a  selec- 
tion of  the  most  remarkable  passages,  somewhat 
modernized,  to  render  it  more  easy  of  perusal.  The 
dedication  commences  thus  : — 

•'  Unto  the  wise,  excellent,  and  Christian  Prince, 
Henry  the  Fourth,  by  the  aforesaid  grace  King  of 
England  and  of  France,  Prince  of  Wales,  Duke  of 
Guienne,  of  Lancaster,  and  of  Cornwall,  and  Earl  of 
Chester,  I  your  own  in  every  humble  wise  attempt  to 
make  a  simple  book,  which  I  recommend  and  submit 
to  your  noble  and  wise  correction.  The  which  book,  if 
it  like  to  your  aforesaid  lordship,  shall  be  called  and 
named  the  Maister  of  Game,  and  for  this  cause.  For 
the  matter  that  this  book  treateth  of  what  in  every 
season  of  the  year  is  most  desirable,  and  to  my  thinking 
to  every  gentle  heart  the  most  honest  and  most  disport- 
ful  of  all  games,  that  is  to  say  hunting.  For  if  it  be  so 
that  hawking  with  gentle  hawks  for  the  heron  be  noble 
and  commendable,  it  lasteth  but  seldom,  at  the  most 
not  passing  half-a-year.  And  if  men  find  game  enough 
from  May  to  Lammas  to  hawk  at,  then  might  they  not 
find  hawks  to  hawk  with.  But  of  hunting  there  is  no 
season  of  all  the  year  that  game  may  not  be  m  every 
good  country  right  well  found,  and  eke  hounds  to 
enchase  it.  And  since  this  book  shall  be  all  of  hunting, 
which  is  so  noble  a  game,  and  eke  lasting  through  all 
the  year  to  divers  beasts,  me  thinketh  that  I  may  well 
call  it  Maister  of  Game." 

Enumerating  the  different  beasts  of  venery  which 
were  hunted  in  those  days  when  our  author  wrote  his 
book,  we  find  the  following  treated  of : — 

"  The  hare,  the  herte,  the  bukke,  the  roo,  the  wild 


6  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

boore,  the  wolf,  the  ffox,  the  gray  (or  badger),  the  eat, 
the  martin,  and  the  otir." 

The  prevalence  of  supersftition  must  have  been  con- 
siderable ;  in  the  description  of  the  gray,  commonly 
called  the  badger,  the  following  strange  observation 
appears  :  — 

"Men  say  that  if  a  child  that  had  never  worn  shoes, 
and  the  first  shoes  that  he  should  wear  were  made  of 
the  gray's  skin,  that  child  should  heal  horses  of  the 
farcy  if  he  should  ride  upon  them ;  but  thereof  I  make 
no  affirmation." 

Hunting  he  earnestly  recommends  as  an  antidote  for 
all  the  evils  of  mind  and  body,  in  which  most  authors 
on  the  mysteries  and  science  of  wood-craft,  whether 
ancient  or  modern,  fully  concur.  In  those  times,  when 
the  science  of  medicine  was  very  little  understood  or 
practised,  every  healthy  exercise  calculated  to  invigor- 
ate the  body  was  of  the  utmost  importance ;  and 
although  the  devotees  of  Hygeia  might  have  performed 
many  exploits  in  their  hunting  excursions  widely 
different  from  those  of  the  present  day,  the  same  object 
was  accomplished.  The  fashion  of  the  sport  matters 
but  little,  so  that  the  benefits  appertaining  thereto  are 
secured.  Upon  this  subject  we  glean  the  following 
remarks  : — 

''  Now  shall  I  prove  that  the  hunter,  that  is  a  good 
hunter,  may  not  be  idle  nor  dreaming,  nor  may  not 
have  evil  imaginations,  nor  be  after  any  evil  works ; 
for  the  next  day  before  that  he  shall  go  on  hunting,  he 
shall  lie  him  down  in  his  bed,  and  he  shall  not  think 
but  for  to  sleep,  and  for  to  do  his  office  well  and 
beseemly  as  a  good  hunter  should  do.  And  he  shall  not 
have  to  think  but  on  the  deeds  and  needs  that  he  is 
ordained  to  do.  And  he  lies  not  idle,  for  he  hath  to 
imagine  to  rise  early  well  to  do  his  office,  without  think- 
ing of  other  things — sins  or  evil  deeds." 

Following  up  the  advantages  of  an  active  life,  to 
divert  men's  minds  from  sinful  cogitations,  the  ancient 
author  continues  :  — 


THE  JOY  OF  HUNTING  7 

"  Wherefore  I  say  that  such  an  hunter  is  not  idle  :  he 
may  have  no  evil  thoughts,  nor  may  do  no  idle  works ; 
wherefore  he  must  go  into  Paradise.  For  by  many 
other  reasons  which  were  long  to  write  may  I  prove 
these  things,  but  it  sufficeth  me ;  for  any  man  that  hath 
good  reason  knoweth  well  that  I  say  the  high  truth. 
Now  will  I  prove  how  hunters  live  in  the  world  most 
joyful  of  any  other  men  :  for  when  the  hunter  riseth  in 
the  morning,  and  seeth  the  fair  and  sweet  morning,  and 
clear  weather  and  bright,  and  heareth  the  song  of  the 
small  fowls  which  sing  so  sweetly  with  great  melody, 
and  full  of  love,  each  in  his  language,  after  that  he 
learneth  of  his  own  kind.  And  when  the  sun  has  arisen 
he  shall  see  the  fresh  dew  upon  the  small  twigs  and 
grass,  and  the  sun  which  by  his  virtue  shall  make  them 
shine.  And  that  is  great  joy  and  liking  unto  the 
hunter's  heart.  After  when  he  shall  go  to  his  quest,  or 
searching,  and  shall  see  or  meet  with  the  hart  anon, 
without  great  seeking,  and  shall  harbour  him  well  and 
readily  within  a  little  compass ;  it  is  great  joy  and  liking 
to  the  hunter." 

The  excitement  occasioned  upon  laying  the  hounds 
on  the  scent,  is  thus  curiously  expressed  :  — 

*  "Then  hath  the  hunter  great  joy  when  he  beginneth 
to  sue,  and  hath  sued  but  a  little.  And  he  shall  hire 
others  to  start  the  hart  afore  him.  And  shall  well 
know  that  it  is  right ;  and  his  hounds  that  shall  be  that 
day  finders  shall  come  to  the  lair  or  to  the  fues  t  and 
shall  there  be  uncoupled,  and  all  they  shall  run,  and 
enchase.  Then  hath  the  hunter  great  joy  and  liking. 
After  he  leapeth  on  horseback  if  he  be  of  estate,  and 
else  on  foot,  with  great  haste,  for  to  follow  his  hounds. 
And  then  shall  he  see  the  hart  pass  before  him,  and  he 
shall  halloo,  and  rout  mightily ;  and  he  shall  see  which 
hounds  come  in  the  van  chase,  and  in  the  middle  chase, 
and  which  be  skirters.  And  then  when  all  his  hounds 
be  passed  afore  him,  then  shall  he  ride  after  them,  and 

*  This  passage  is  somewhat  different  in  Mr.  Baillie-Grohman's 
edition  of  '  The  Master  of  Game,'  which  is  a  version  of  M.  S.  Cott. 
Veep.  B.  xii.,  in  the  British  Museum,     [kd.] 

t  Fues,    Toyes  =  track,    line. 


8  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

shall  rout  and  blow  as  loud  as  he  may  with  great  joy 
and  liking.  And  I  assure  you  that  he  thinketh  to  none 
other  sin,  to  none  other  evil.  And  when  the  hart  shall 
be  overcome,  and  shall  be  at  bay,  he  shall  have  great 
liking;  and  when  the  hart  is  spayed,  and  dead,  he  un- 
doeth  him  and  maketh  his  quarry, t  and  requireth  or 
rewardeth  his  hounds,  and  so  he  shall  have  great 
liking.  And  when  he  cometh  home  he  cometh  joyfully, 
for  his,  lord  hath  given  him  drink  of  his  good  wine  at 
the  quarry.  And  when  he  cometh  home  he  shall  do  off 
his  clothes,  and  his  shoes,  and  his  hose,  and  he  shall 
wash  his  thighs  and  his  legs  and  peradventure  all  his 
body.  And  in  the  meanwhile  he  shall  order  his  supper 
with  worts  and  of  the  neck  of  the  hart,  and  of  other 
good  meats,  and  of  good  wine  and  ale.  And  when  he 
hath  well  eat  and  drank  he  shall  be  glad  and  well  at 
easei.  Then  shall  he  go  take  the  air  in  the  evening  of 
the  night,  for  the  great  heat  that  he  hath  had.  And 
then  shall  he  go  drink,  and  lie  in  his  bed  in  fair  fresh 
clothes,  and  sleep  well  and  sadly  and  stedfastly  with- 
out any  evil  thoughts  of  sins;  wherefore  I  say  that 
hunters  go  into  Paradise  when  they  die,  and  live  in  this 
world  most  joyfully  of  any  other  men." 

There  is  a  business-like  manner  diffused  throughout 
the  above  remarks  which  proclaims  our  author  to  have 
been  a  practical  man  and  an  enthusiast  in  the  sport 
which  he  describes.  He  observes  that  the  hounds 
should  settle  to  the  scent  before  the  horseman  rides 
after  them,  a  precaution  which  every  sportsman 
admires.  Many  of  the  customs  prevail  even  at  the 
present  time,  not  the  least  conspicuous  of  which  is  the 
drink  of  good  wine  at  the  breaking  up  of  the  quarry, 
whether  it  be  fox  or  stag. 

A  change  of  dress  and  the  salutary  effects  of  an 
ablution  were  luxuries,  even  in  those  days,  duly  appre- 
ciated. Doubtless  they  passed  their  evenings  in  jovial 
conviviality. 

At  the  period  when  the  book  in  question  was  written, 

t  Quarry,  curee,  kyrre,  or  quyrreye;  the  ceremony  of  givinp;  the 
hounds  their  reward,  so  called  because  it  was  originally  given  to  the 
hounds  on  the  hide  or  citlr  of  the  stag.     \yo.'\ 


ANCIENT   HARE-HUNTING  9 

the  hare  was  considered  the  most  important  object  of 
the  chase;  a  distinction,  I  imagine,  supposed  generally 
to  have  been  acceded  to  the  stag ;  but  as  the  hare  is  the 
more  cunning  of  the  two,  there  is  good  reason  why  she 
should  be  honoured  with  the  precedence.  The  suc- 
ceeding passage  appears  on  this  subject:  — 

•'  Ere  I  speak  how  the  hare  shall  be  hunted  it  is  to 
wit  that  the  hare  is  king  of  all  venery;  for  all  blowing, 
and  the  fair  terms  of  hunting,  come  of  the  seeking  and 
the  finding  of  her,  for  certain  it  is  a  marvellous  beast." 

That  the  hounds  were  given  to  riot  is  a  circumstance 
not  calculated  to  occasion  any  astonishment,  because 
it  does  not  appear  that  they  were  confined  to  the  chase 
of  any  particular  species  of  game.  The  following 
directions  are  given,  supposing  a  hare  to  be  found  in  a 
wood  or  coppice  : — 

'•  And  then  should  the  horsemen  hold  them  out  aside 
and  somedele  tofore,  with  long  rods  ini  their  hands  to 
meet  with  her,  and  blow  a  moot  and  rechase,*  and 
halloo  and  set  the  hounds  in  the  rights  if  they  see  her. 
Also  for  to  keep  that  no  hound  follows  to  sheep  nor  to 
other  beasts ;  and  if  they  do  to  ascry  t  him  sore  and 
alight  and  take  him  up  and  lash  him  well,  saying,  Ware, 
ha,  ha,  ware,  ware,  and  lash  him  forth  to  his  fellows." 

Blooding  or  rewarding  the  hounds  was  a  ceremony 
with  which  considerable  importance  was  connected, 
and  the  performance  is  directed  in  the  following 
manner : — 

"  And  when  she  hath  been  well  chased  and  well 
retrieved,  notwithstanding  her  rusing,§  squatting,  and 
reseating,  so  that  by  strength  at  last  she  be  bitten  t  by 
the  hounds,  whoso  is  next  should  start  to  get  her  whole 

*  Rechase  or  recheat,  a  note  on  tlie  horn  to  call  back  the  hounds. 

t  Ascry,  rate. 

§  Rusing,  making  a  ruse  or  stratagem. 

^  Bitten,  taken. 


10  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

from  the  hounds,  and  hold  her  from  the  hound;^  over 
his  head  high,  and  blow  the  death  that  men  may  gather 
thither.  And  when  they  be  come,  then  should  she  be 
stripped,  all  save  the  head,  and  the  gall  and  the  paunch 
cast  away.  And  all  the  remainder  should  be  laid  on  a 
great  staff,  or  on  a  board,  whoso  hath  it,  or  on  the 
earth ;  and  there  should  be  chopped  as  small  as  it  might 
be,  so  that  it  hang  together.  And  when  it  is  so  dight 
then  should  one  of  the  berners  *  take  it  up  and  hold  it 
as  high  as  he  may  in  his  hands,  t  And  when  the  hounds 
have  bayed  as  long  as  the  aforesaid  master  has  lust, 
then  should  the  bemer,  as  high  as  he  may,  pull  every 
piece  from  the  other,  and  cast  to  every  hound  his 
reward ;  and  then  should  the  most  master  blow  a  mote 
and  stroke,  if  so  be  that  he  thinketh  that  the  hounds 
have  done  enough,  and  else  he  should  rest  a  while  if 
the  hounds  were  hot,  till  they  are  cool,  and  then  lead 
to  the  water  to  lap." 

The  performance  closely  resembles  our  manner  of 
'  breaking  up  '  the  fox,  except  that  the  hounds  are 
encouraged  '  to  tear  him  and  eat  him,'  without  previ- 
ously chopping  him  into  mincemeat,  "  as  small  as  it 
might  be,  so  that  it  hang  together."  There  is  also  a  part 
of  the  ceremony  which  appears  strange — that  of 
stripping  or  skinning  the  hare,  all  save  the  head,  and 
that  the  gall  and  paunch  are  to  be  thrown  away. 
Masters  of  harriers  in  the  nineteenth  century  are  wont 
to  preserve  the  carcass  for  their  own  cuisine,  and  think 
it  quite  sufficient  to  reward  their  hounds  with  the 
paunch.  The  '  chorus  of  horns  '  is  likewise  dispensed 
with.  Fancy  the  effect  of  two  hundred  hunting-horns 
aJl  sounding  at  once  in  the  midst  of  a  large  pasture 
field  !  The  direction  for  taking  the  hounds  to  lap  after 
they  have  broken  up  their  quarry  is  good ;  when  suffi- 
ciently cool  such  refreshment  may  be  sanctioned ;  but  I 
have  seen  hounds  taken  to  water  before  they  broke  up 
their  fox,  when  over-heated  by  their  exertions  in  the 

*  Keonelmen. 

t  M.  S.  Cott :  here  adds: — "  And  then  whoso  is  most  master,  blow 
the  death,  and  anon  as  he  beginneth  every  man  help  and  holloa." 


THE   GATHERING  11 

chase,    a   custom   which   I  could   never  reconcile    with 
propriety. 

Although  the  term  hunting  was  applied  to  chasing 
the  deer  with  '  rennynge  houndis,'  and  also  slaying  the 
game  with  '  bowes  and  with  grey-houndis,'  there  was 
evidently  a  distinction  in  the  preparations  for  the 
chase,  and  the  mode  of  assembling.  The  sports  of  the 
field  were  not  the  only  amusements ;  joyful  festivity 
was  introduced  as  a  finale,  and  doubtless  the  old  walls 
of  regal  and  baronial  tenements  were  made  to  echo 
with  the  voice  of  hilarity.  The  succeeding  extracts 
are  descriptive  of  the  customs  adopted  preparatory^  to 
hunting :  — 

"Hotf  the  assembly  should  he  made  winter  and  summer, 

"  The  assembly  that  men  call  gathering  should  be 
made  in  this  manner.  The  night  before  that  the  lord  or 
the  master  of  game  will  go  to  the  wood,  he  must  make 
come  before  him  all  the  hunters,  their  helps,  all  the 
grooms,  and  the  pages ;  and  should  assign  to  each  of 
them  their  quests  in  certain  places,  and  sever  the  one 
from  the  other,  that  one  should  not  come  uj>on  the 
quest  of  the  other,  nor  do  him  no  annoyance  nor  let.* 
And  each  should  quest  in  his  best  wise,  as  I  have  said. 
And  he  shall  assign  them  the  placei  where  the 
gathering  should  be  made  at  the  most  ease  of  them  all, 
the  nighest  to  their  quests.  And  the  place  where  the 
gathering  should  be  made  shall  be  in  a  fair  mead,  well 
green,  where  the  trees  waxith  all  about,  one  from  the 
other,  and  a  clear  well  or  some  running  brook  besides. 
And  it  is  called  gathering  because  that  all  men  and 
hounds  for  the  hunting  gathereth  them  thither  before 
they  go  in  the  quests  ;  and  should  come  again  in  a 
cetrtain  place  that  I  have  spoken  of.  And  also  they  that 
parteth  from  them,  and  all  the  officers  that  parteth 
from  them,  should  bring  thither  all  that  they  needeth, 
each  one  in  his  own  office,  well  and  plenteously.  And 
should  lay  the  towels  and  the  board  clothes  all  about 
on  the  green  grass,  and  set  divers  meats  upon  great 
plenty,  after  the  lord's  power  is.  And  some  should  eat 
sitting,  and  some  standing,  and  some  leaning  upon  their 

*  Hindrance. 


12  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

elbows.  And  some  should  drink,  some  laugh,  some 
jangle,  some  bound,  some  play;  and,  shortly,  do  all 
manner  of  sports  of  gladness.  And  when  men  shall  be 
set  at  tables,  ere  tliey  eat  should  come  the  hunters  and 
the  grooms,  with  their  lymers  *  which  have  been  m  the 
quest.  And  each  shall  say  his  report  to  the  lord  and 
lay  the  fumes  t  before  the  lord,  he  that  hath  any  found. 
And  the  lord  or  the  master  of  the  hunting,  by  the 
council  of  them,  shall  choose  to  which  they  will  move 
and  run  to,  and  which  be  the  heaviest  deer.  And  the 
relays  shall  go,  and  other  things  which  I  shall  say  more 
plainly.  And  then  every  man  shall  speed  him  to  his 
place,  and  they  also  haste  them  that  shall  go  to  the 
finding." 

Undoubtedly  the  arrangements  for  taking  the  field 
were  orderly.  A  post  or  office  was  assigned  to  each 
attendant,  and  then  the  '  gathering  '  in  a  fair  mead, 
well  sheltered  with  trees,  and  a  repast  under  the  green- 
wood shade,  harmonising  with  the  picturesquci — 
nothing  could  be  conceived  more  enchanting,  '  weather 
permitting'  and  at  a  seasonable  time  of  the  year — 
important  provisos  which  our  author  has  unfortunately 
omitted.  A  breakfast  al  fresco  in  our  variable  climate 
on  any  morning  from  the  first  of  November  to  the 
month  of  April  would  not  be  a  very  seductive  attrac- 
tion. Happily  we  now  dispense  with  such  ceremonies, 
or  we  seek  a  more  genial  atmosphere  in  the  spacious 
dining-room  of  some  hospitable  squire,  at  or  near  to 
whose  residence  the  hounds  may  happen  to  meet. 
But  why  some  should  eat  sitting,  others  standing,  and 
some  leaning  on  their  elbows,  is  a  mystery  which  I 
caimot  elucidate.  Those  ancients  must  have  been 
jovial  souls,  if  they  carried  out  the  directions  given  to 
theni.  They  are  told  to  drink,  laugh,  jangle,  bound, 
play  and  perform  all  manner  of  sports  of  gladness 
before  the  chase  began ;  and  if,  after  it  was  over,  they 
indulged  in  the  suggestion  of  a  salutary  ablution  while 

*  Scenting   Iiounds,    tnfters. 
t  Excrement. 


CUSTOMS  AT   THE    GATHERING  13 

the  venison  cutlets  were  being  prepared,  with  a  drink 
of  wine,  merry  companions,  and  all  the  agremens  of 
conviviality,  before  retiring  to  the  clean  sheets,  we 
must  accede  to  them  the  credit  of  having  known  how 
to  enjoy  themselves.  If  those  exertions  did  not  invoke 
the  favours  of  Somnus,  he  must  have  been  an  unap- 
proa-chable  deity. 

We  are  often  apt  to  imagine  that  the  worthies  of 
olden  times  were  wont  to  enjoy  much  more  happiness 
than  we  do  at  the  present.  If  the  foregoing  sketches  of 
sporting  life  in  the  fourteenth  century  could  be  taken 
as  a  faithful  representation  of  daily  occurrences,  the 
inference  would  be  correct ;  but  when  we  contemplate 
the  wars,  tumults,  and  contentions  with  which  England 
was  beset,  we  must  fairly  conclude  that  the  heroes  of 
those  days  did  not  drink  from  the  cup  of  pleasure 
without  participating  in  much  gall. 

Quaintly  as  the  aforesaid  directions  are  laid  down, 
they  contain  many  very  shrewd  ideas,  and  conspicuously 
as  many  of  the  customs  in  England  have  from  time  to 
time  undergone  changes,  most  of  them  appear  to  be 
continued  to  the  very  letter  on  the  Continent.  In  a 
very  interesting  narrative  by  "  Acteon,"  published  in 
the  Sporting  Review,  we  read  the  following  description 
of  the  events  which  he  witnessed  at  the  place  of  meeting 
of  a  hunting  party  in  France  during  the  autumn  of  1852. 

"  The  party  is  at  length  arrived,  and  reposing  under 
the  picturesque  canopy  of  this  ancient  monarch  of  the 
forest  [an  old  oak  tree  previously  mentioned].  The 
centre  is  occupied  with  divers  baskets  of  cold  game 
pies,  roasted  meats  of  various  descriptions,  and 
numerous  other  delicacies,  with  hampers  of  wine,  and 
bags  and  boxes  of  sporting  tackle.  On  some  of  the 
already  empty  hampers  repose  the  chasseurs,  laughing, 
joking,  and  chattering  in  the  most  degage  hilarity." 

*'  Of  the  ordainance,  and  of  the  manner  of  hunting  when 
the  king  will  hunt  in  the  forest  or  in  the  pork  for  the 
hart  with  bows  and  with  greyhounds. 


14  RECORDS   OF  THE  CHASE 

'•  The  master  of  the  game  should  be  accorded  with 
the  master  or  parker,  whither  that  it  be  where  the  king 
should  hunt  such  a  day.  And  if  the  seat  be  wide  the 
foresaid  forester  or  parker  should  warn  the  sheriff  of 
the  shire  that  the  hunting  should  be  in,  for  to  ordain 
stables*  sufficient,  and  carts  eke  for  to  bring  the  deer 
that  should  be  slain  to  the  place  where  the  quarries  t 
at  hunting  hath  been  accustomed.  And  then  he  should 
warn  the  hunters,  and  the  feuterers  t  whether  they 
have  men  ready  to  meet  with  them,  that  they  should 
come.  And  the  foresters  should  go  no  further  nor 
straggle  not  about,  for  dread  lest  they  fray  the  game 
ere  the  king  come.  And  if  the  king's  hunting  shall  be 
in  a  park,  all  men  should  abide  at  the  park  gate,  save 
the  stables,  which  ought  to  be  set  ere  the  king  comes, 
and  they  should  be  set  by  the  foresters  or  parkers. 
And  at  the  mom  early  the  maister  of  the  game  should 
be  at  the  wood  to  see  that  all  be  ready,  and  he  or  his 
lieutenant  or  which  of  the  hunters  that  him  lust,  ought 
to  set  the  greyhounds,  and  whoso  be  teasers  §  to  the 
king,  or  to  the  queen,  or  to  their  lesses.*!  As  oft  as 
any  hart  cometh  out,  he  should  when  he  is  past  blow  a 
mote  and  rechase,  and  let  run  after  to  tease  it  forth, 
and  if  it  be  a  stag  he  should  let  pass,  as  is  said,  and  rally 
for  to  make  the  feuterers  advised  what  cometh  thereout. 
And  to  lasse*  deer  he  should  not  let  run.  And  then 
the  master  forester  or  parker  ought  to  shew  him  the 
king's  standing,  if  the  king  will  stand  with  his  bow, 
and  where  all  the  remainder  of  bows  shall  stand.  And 
the  yeomen  of  the  king's  bows  ought  for  to  be  there  to 
keep  or  make  the  king's  standing,  and  abide  there 
without  noise  till  the  king  comes.  And  the  grooms  that 
keep    the    king's    dogs    and    that   chastith  t    the    grey- 

*  Men  and  hounds  stationed  at  different  places  to  slip  the  hounds 
at  the  quarrj'. 

t  See  note  on  page  8. 

%  Men   wlio  lead   greyhounds. 

§  Small  hounds  that  '  tease  '  forth  the  game  in  coverts. 

fl  Attendants. 

*  Less,  smaller, 
t  Breaketh  in. 


THE  YOUNG  IDEA  15 

hounds  should  be  there  with  them,  for  that  belongs  to 
the  yeomens  office.  And  also  the  master  of  the  game 
should  be  informed  by  the  forester  or  parker  what 
game  the  king  shall  find  within  his  set.J  And  when  all 
this  is  done  then  should  the  master  of  the  game  worthe  § 
upon  his  horse  and  meet  the  king,  and  bring  him  to  his 
standing,  and  tell  him  what  game  is  with  the  set,  and 
how  the  greyhounds  are  set  and  eke  the  stable,  and 
also  to  tell  him  w^hether  it  be  better  to  stand  with  his 
bow,  or  with  his  greyhounds,  for  it  is  to  wit  that  the 
lesses  of  his  chamber  and  of  the  queen's  should  be  best 
set.  And  there  two  feuterers  ought  for  to  make  lodges 
of  green  boughs  or  trysts  for  to  keep  the  king  and  the 
queen  and  the  gentlemen  and  the  greyhounds  from  the 
sun  and  from  evil  weather.  And  when  the  king  is  at 
his  standing  or  at  his  tryst  whichever  that  he  prefers, 
and  that  the  master  of  the  game  or  his  lieutenant  have 
set  the  bows,  and  assigneth  who  shall  lead  the  queen 
to  her  tryst,  then  he  should  blow  three  long  moots  to 
the  uncoupling." 

The  succeeding  chapter,  containing  instructions  for 
bringing  up  a  youth  intended  for  the  occupation  of 
huntsman,  is  highly  amusing : — 

"  Thou,  sir,  whatever  you  be,  great  or  little,  that 
would  teach  a  man  to  be  a  good  hunter,  first  he  must 
be  a  child  eight  years  of  age  or  a  little  older ;  and  if  any 
man  shall  say  why  I  take  a  child  of  so  tender  age  for 
to  put  him  to  travail,  I  answer  and  say  that  all  natures 
shorteth  and  distendeth.  For  every  man  knoweth  well 
that  a  child  of  eight  years  old  can  more  in  this  time, 
that  now  is,  of  such  things  that  he  liketh  to  learn  than, 
some  time,  could  a  child  of  twelve  years ;  and  therefore 
I  put  him  so  young  thereto ;  for  a  craft  requireth  all  a 
man's  life  ere  he  be  perfect  thereof,  and  also  men  say 
that  what  a  man  learneth  in  his  youth  he  will  hold  in 
his  age.  And  furthermore  to  this  child  belongeth  many 
things,  first,  that  he  love  his  master  and  that  his  heart 
be  busy  on  the  hounds.       And  he  must  take  him  and 

X  That  quarter  of  the  forest  around  which  are  '  set '  the  men  and 
hounds,   or  '  stables.' 

§  Mount. 


16  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

beat  him  when  he  will  not    do  that  his  master  com- 
mandeth  him,  unto   the  time  the    child  be   a-dread  to 
fail.    And  first  I  shall  teach  thee  to  take  him  and  write 
all  the  hounds'  names  and  of  the  hues,  unto  the  time  the 
child  knows  them  both  by  the  hues  and  by  the  names. 
After,  I  shall  teach  him  to  make  clean  every  day  in  the 
morning  the  hounds'  kennel  of  all  foul  things  that  is 
therein.       After,  I  will  him  learn  to  put  before  them, 
twice  in  the  day,  fair  clean  water  of  a  clean  well  in  a 
vessel    thereas    the    hounds    drinketh,    or    fair   running 
water,  in  the  morning  and  in  the  evening.    After,  I  will 
teach  him  that  once  in  the  week  he  void  the  kennel,  and 
make  all  clean  and  renew  their  straw,  and  put  again 
fresh  new  straw  a  great  deal  and  right  thick,  and  thereas 
he  layeth    it   the  hounds    should   lie.       And   the   place 
thereas  they  should  lie  it  should  be  made  of  tree  a  foot 
high  from  the  earth,  and  then  should  the  straw  be  laid 
upon   that,    because   that   the  moistness   of   the   earth 
should   not  make    them   morfounde  nor  engender  any 
sickness  by  which   they  might    be    worse    for   hunting. 
And  also  that  he  love  a  field,  and  in  a  wood  delighteth, 
and  be  well  eyed,  and  well  advised  of  his  speech  and  of 
his  terms,  and  ever  glad  to  learn,  and  that  he  be  not 
in  nowise  no  boaster  nor  no  jangler.     Also  I  will  teach 
the  child  to  lead  the  hounds  twice  in  the  day,  in  the 
morning  and  in  the  evening,  so  that  the  sun  be  up,  and 
especially  in  winter.       Then  should  he  let  them  play 
long  in  a  fair  meadow  in  the  sun,  and  then  comb  every 
hound  after  other  and  wipe  them  with  a  great  wisp  of 
straw.    And  this  shall  he  do  every  morning.     And  then 
he  shall  lead  them  to  some  fair  place  thereas  the  tender 
grass  groweth  as  corn  and  other  things,  that  there  they 
may  feed  them  for  to  take   their  medicines,  for   some- 
time houndsi  be  sick  and  with  grass  that  they  eat  void 
and  heal  themselves." 

It  must  be  confessed  that  the  age  of  eight  years  was 
a  very  early  period  of  life  for  a  boy  to  commence  even 
the  most  insignificant  studies  or  operations  in  the 
mysteries  of  woodcraft ;  but  the  remark  is  a  very  true 
one,  that  it  requires  all  a  man's  life  to  make  him  a  pro- 
ficient, much  less  to  make  him  perfect  in  the  science. 
Some  insight  into  the  management  of  hounds  in  the 
olden  time  is  obtained  from  the  last  chapter;  and  it  is 


REMEDY  FOR  SLUGGISHNESS  17 

quite  clear  they  had  a  knowledge  of  kennel  lameness, 
which  malady  thej^  called  '  morfounde.'  Combing  and 
dressing  the  hounds  with  wisps  of  straw  is  evidence 
that  they  bestowed  some  care  upon  them ;  at  the  same 
time  it  may  be  observed  that  the  first-named  operation 
inculcates  an  idea  that  they  must  have  possessed 
longer  coats  than  we  are  wont  to  ascribe  to  any  of  the 
varieties  of  the  canine  order  used  even  at  that  period 
for  the  purpose  of  hunting.  Walking  the  hounds  into 
the  grass  courts  is  in  conformity  with  present  practice, 
and  the  fact  of  their  partaking  of  grass  asi  an  emetic 
had  not  escaped  the  observation  of  the  ancients. 

Divesting  them  of  the  cruelty  they  convey,  the 
perusal  of  the  ensuing  directions  would  afford  amuse- 
ment ;  the  first  is  a  remedy  to  rouse  a  sluggish  horse, 
and  the  other  to  subdue  an  intemperate  one :  — 

"  For  Defy  of  the  Spur. 

"  Take  and  shave  him  the  breadth  of  a  saucer  on 
both  sides  thereas  you  will  spur  him ;  then  take  a  lancet 
and  make  six  issues  through  the  skin  the  length  of  a 
wheat  corn,  and  then  take  a  haundelere  and  raise  the 
skin  from  the  flesh,  and  then  put  in  a  quantity  of 
burned  salt,  and  this  will  make  his  sides  to  wrankle  ; 
and  keep  him  three  days,  that  he  be  not  ridden,  and 
then  set  on  him  a  child  with  spurs,  and  spur  him  in 
that  place ;  and  then  at  night  wash  that  same  place 
with  urine  and  salt  and  nettles  sodden  therewith,  and 
this  shall  grieve  him  sore  that  he  will  never  abide  spurs 
after :  then  let  him  stand  so  three  days  after  this 
washing;  then  take  half  a  pint  of  honey  and  anoint  his 
sides  therewith  three  times,  and  this  shall  make  the 
hair  to  grow,  and  make  him  whole  for  evermore." 

"  For  to  tame  a  wild  Horse. 

"  Set  on  him  a  saddle  and  a  bridle,  and  strain  the 
rein  upon  the  saddle  head ;  and  then  take  a  doublet  and 
stuff  it  full  of  straw,  and  fasten  thereto  a  pair  of  hosen, 
and  fill  them  full  of  sand ;  and  set  a  pair  of  spurs  on  the 
heels  and  fasten  the  doublet  sure  to  the  saddle  and  the 
hosen  to  the  stirrup,  and  then  put  him  in  a  close  field 
and  let  him  run.     And  all  way  as  he  runneth  the  spurs 

B 


18  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

will  dash  him  on  the,'  sides,  and  so  he  shall  run  till  he 
be  weary  and  that  he  stand  still  for  weariness.  Then 
take  the  horse  and  lead  him  to  a  stable  and  lay  litter 
enow  under  him  and  clothes  enow  upK)n  him,  and  then 
lift  up  his  feet  and  smite  upon  them  with  a  stone, 
on  every  foot,  and  then  keep  him  with  little  meat 
three  days  after,  and  every  day  twice  or  three 
times  come  to  him  and  lift  up  his  feet,  and  knock 
on  them  with  a  stone,  and  see  that  he  be  well  curried 
and  wiped,  and  he  will  be  more  tame  ever  after  than 
any  horse  that  is  tame  of  his  own  kind." 

To  rouse  an  idle  horse  by  such  means  was  certainly  a 
barbarous  custom,  of  which,  in  modem  days  we  have 
no  parallel.  It  was  establishing  a  '  raw '  with  a 
vengeance.  But  the  Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Animals  was  not  then  in  existence. 
Children  were  very  probably  numerous,  and  maternal 
affection  at  a  discount.  What  effect  the  sight  of  a  young 
urchin  might  •  have  upon  a  horse  which  had  been  so 
tortured,  must  be  left  to  the  imagination  to  conceive. 

The  process  of  taming  a  wild  horse  was,  no  doubt, 
effective.  A  dumb  jockey  with  spurs  would  be  a  novelty 
in  the  nineteenth  century,  and  we  have  good  reason  to 
rejoice  that  the  march  of  civilisation,  refinement, 
and  humanity  has  introduced  measures  by  which  the 
most  noble  of  our  domestic  animals,  the  horse,  can  be 
rendered  subservient  to  our  use  by  kind,  instead  of 
harsh  or  cruel,  treatment. 

A  journey  on  horseback  two  hundred  and  fifty  years 
ago,  from  Edinburgh  to  London,  ere  roads  were  in  a 
convenient  state  for  travelling,  must  have  been  an 
undertaking  attended  with  many  irksome  anticipations 
and  realities ;  yet  it  was  one  which  a  monarch  was 
destined  to  perform.  Even  royalty  might  have  been  at 
a  loss  how  to  render  it  agreeable.  The  fertile  mind  of 
King  James  the  First,  and  his  courtiers,  devised  the 
means;  and  we  find  in  the  account  of  the  journey  that 
his  Majesty  enjoyed  the  diversion  of  hunting.  Having 
advanced   as   far   as   Newark,  he   proceeded  to  Belvoir 


IN  THE  TIME  OF  SOMERVILLE  19 

Castle,  hunting  all  the  way,  attended  by  many  lords 
and  knights.  Train  scents  were  prepared,  and  live 
hares,  conveyed  in  baskets,  were  turned  down  on  the 
heath,  which  afforded  excellent  sport  for  his  Majesty. 
Sir  John  Harrington's  hounds  are  mentioned  as  having 
been  in  requisition  for  the  occasion,  and  that  the  King 
took  '  great  leisure  and  pleasure  in  the  same.'  The 
contrast  is  amusing  to  contemplate  when  we  consider 
the  style  of  riding  which  the  royal  James  was 
accustomed  to  enjoy,  on  steeds  highly  broken  and  so 
completely  subservient  to  the  hand  that,  going  with 
their  haunches  well  under  them,  they  never  exceeded 
three-parts  speed.  The  hounds,  therefore,  must  have 
been  equally  slow,  or  the  stately  sovereign  could  not 
have  enjoyed  their  company. 

Queen  Anne  gave  encouragement  to  sporting  amuse- 
ments in  the  way  of  racing,  but  took  no  part  in  hunting. 
Neither  did  the  succeeding  kings,  George  the  First  or 
Second ;  but  about  the  period  of  their  reigns  fox- 
hunting became  an  amusement  with  the  nobility  and 
wealthy  landholders  of  Great  Britain.  Before  that  time 
the  sport  was  confined  to  driving  the  foxes  to  ground 
and  digging  them  out,  trapping,  destroying  them,  or 
worrying  them  with  terriers. 

We  have  ample  testimony  that  at  the  period  I  have 
named  fox-hunting  had  assumed  a  position,  from  the 
inimitable  descriptions  and  directions  sung  by  the 
poet  Somerville,  who,  I  find,  was  born  in  the  year 
1692  and  died  in  1742.  The  practical  knowledge  which 
he  had  acquired  on  the  subject  is  incontestible  evidence 
that  the  chase  of  the  fox  was  in  vogue ;  for  it  would  be 
too  great  a  stretch  of  imagination  to  suppose  that  his 
ideas  arose  from  problematical  fancies.  No  man 
could  have  introduced  the  forcible  arguments,  the  cor- 
rectness of  which  has  stood  the  test  of  a  century,  unless 
he  had  been  in  possession  of  facts  to  guide  his  opinions. 
Although  born  in  the  reign  of  William  and  Mary,  it 
must  have  been  during  the  time  of  George  the  First 
that  Somerville  wrote  his  beautiful  poem,  The  Chase, 


20  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

I  come  to  this  conclusion  from  the  following  impressive 
lines  : — 

"  As  some  brave  captain,  curious  and  exact, 
By  his  fix'd  standard  forms  in  equal  ranks 
His  gay  battalion ;  as  one  man  they  move, 
Step  after  step;  their  size  the  same,  their  arms, 
Far  gleaming,  dart  the  same  united  blaze; 
Reviewing  generals  his  merit  own. 
How  regular !  how  just !     And  all  his  cares 
Are  well  repaid,  if  mighty  GEORGE  approve. 
So  model  thou  thy  pack,  if  honour  touch 
Thy  generous   soul,  and   the   world's  just  applause." 


CHAPTER  II 


THE     FIRST     FOXHOUNDS 


At  what  date  the  first  pack  of  hounds  was  established, 
whose  labours  were  exclusively  devoted  to  the  pursuit 
of  the  fox,  is  a  question  which  cannot  be  accurately 
determined.  Doubtless  there  was  a  transition  between 
the  chase  of  the  stag  and  the  hare  to  that  of  the  fox 
which  renders  the  elucidation  more  obscure  than  it 
otherwise  would  be.  It  not  unfrequently  happens, 
even  in  the  present  day,  that  a  gentleman  makes  his 
dSbut  as  a  master  of  hounds  in  pursuit  of  the  hare,  and 
ultimately  converts  his  pack  into  fox-hounds.  This 
was  the  case  with  the  renowned  Mr.  Corbet  and  several 
other  sportsmen  who  have  taken  high  degrees  in  the 
noble  science.  Under  similar  circiunstances  it  is  very 
fair  to  conclude  that  when  fox-hunting  was  becoming, 
but  had  not  reached,  the  position  of  a  distinct  amuse- 
ment, the  change  was  brought  about  by  degrees,  and 
that  foxes,  stags,  and  hares  were  hunted  by  the  same 
pack.  Indeed,  that  practice  has  been  continued  in 
some  of  the  provincial  countries  during  the  present 
century. 

When  game  became  more  abundant  and  foxes  more 
numerous,  the  inconvenience  of  such  a.  system  could 
not  fail  to  be  experienced ;  for  although  I  have  heard 
wonderful  tales  of  hounds  in  the  olden  time  staunchly 
adhering  to  the  scent  of  fox  on  one  day  and  hare  on 
the  next,  whichever  they  might  happen  to  find  in  the 
first  instance,  I  must  confess  want  of  faith.  Besides, 
the  style  of  hunting  which  is  perfection  in  the  fox-hound 
is  not  desirable  in  the  harrier.  To  follow  the  hare 
through  her  various  windings,  short  turnings,  and  foil- 


22  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

running  propensities,  a  very  close  hunting  hound  that 
will  pick  through  the  coldest  scent  is  best  adapted  for 
the  purpose.  When  he  comes  to  a  check  his  natural 
cast  should  be  close.  A  fox  pursued  after  that  fashion 
will  in  all  probability  run  from  day-break  till  sunset. 
Hounds  for  the  chase  of  the  fox  require  greater  speed, 
with  more  dash,  enthusiasm,  and  energy.  When  they 
come  to  a  check,  their  cast,  without  being  wild,  should 
be  extensive,  and  they  should,  to  use  the  simile  of  an 
old  huntsman,  "  spread  like  a  sky  rocket."  Beckford 
has  treated  this  subject  so  well  that  I  cannot  refrain 
from  making  an  extract.  After  some  observations  on 
the  difference  between  hunting  foxes  and  hares,  he 
adds : — 

"  The  hounds  themselves  also  differ  in  their  manner 
of  hunting.  The  beagle,  who  has  always  his  nose  to 
the  ground,  will  puzzle  an  hour  on  one  spot  sooner  than 
leave  the  scent ;  while  the  fox-hound,  full  of  life  and 
spirit,  is  always  dashing  and  trying  forward.  A  high- 
bred fox-hound,  therefore  shows  himself  to  most 
advantage  when  foxes  are  at  their  strongest,  and  run 
an  end.  A  pack  of  harriers  will  kill  a  cub  better,  per- 
haps, than  a  pack  of  fox-hounds ;  but,  when  foxes  are 
strong,  they  have  not  the  method  of  getting  on  with 
the  scent  which  fox-hounds  have,  and  generally  tire 
themselves  before  the  fox.  To  kill  foxes  when  they 
are  strong,  hounds  must  run  as  well  as  hunt ;  besides, 
catching  a  fox  by  hard  running  is  always  preferred,  in 
the  opinion  of  a  fox-hunter.  Much  depends  on  the  style 
in  which  it  is  done ;  and  I  think,  without  being 
sophistical,  a  distinction  might  be  made  betwixt 
hunting  a  fox  and  fox-hunting.  Two  hackneys  become 
not  racers  by  running  round  a  course,  nor  does  the 
mere  hunting  of  a  fox  change  the  nature  of  the  harrier. 
I  have  also  seen  a  hare  hunted  by  high-bred  fox-hounds ; 
yet,  I  confess  to  you,  it  gave  me  not  the  least  idea  of 
what  hare-hunting  ought  to  be.  Certain  ideas  are 
necessarily  annexed  to  certain  words — this  is  the 
use  of  language — and  when  a  fox-hound   is   mentioned. 


HOUNDS  FOR   DIFFERENT   PURSUITS      23 

I  should  expect  not  only  a  particular  kind  of  hound  as 
to  make,  size,  and  strength,  (by  which  the  fox-hound 
is  easy  to  be  distinguished) ;  but  I  should  also  expect 
by  fox-hunting,  a  lively,  animated,  and  eager  pursuit, 
as  the  very  essence  of  it." 

Somerville  recommends  distinct  packs  of  hounds  for 
the  chase  of  different  animals.     He  says  : — 

"  A  diff'rent  hound  for  ev'ry  diff'rcnt  chase 
Select  with  judgment;  nor  the  tini'rous  hare 
O'ermatch'd   destroy     .     .     . 

*  *  *  *  *  *  * 

But  husband  thou  thy  pleasures,  and  give  scope 
To  all  her  subtle  play;  by  nature  led, 
A  thousand  shifts  she  tries;  t'unravel  these, 
Th'  industrious  beagle  twists  his  waving  tail, 
Thro'  all  her  labyrinths  pursues  and  rings 
Her  doleful   knell." 

It  is  quite  evident  that  some  masters  of  hounds  had 
made  the  discovery,  ere  the  poet  penned  those  lines, 
that  it  was  desirable  to  keep  their  hounds  to  one  kind 
of  game. 

The  noble  family  of  Berkeley  have  been  famous  for 
their  hounds  of  all  sorts  and  love  of  sport  from  the 
time  of  William  the  Conqueror  to  the  present  day.  The 
earliest  record  from  which  I  have  been  able  to  gain  in- 
formation is,  I  understand  from  good  authority, 
mentioned  in  Smith's  MS.,  which  states,  "  When  Lord 
Berkeley  kept  thirty  huntsmen  in  '  tawny  coats,'  and 
his  hounds  at  the  village  of  Charing,  now  Charing  Cross, 
in  the  middle  of  London,  and  hunted  in  that  vicinity." 
What  animals  they  were  in  the  habit  of  hunting  I  am 
not  able  to  state ;  probably,  deer,  boarsi,  and  wolves,  as 
it  was  the  custom  to  destroy  ferocious  beasts.  Viewing 
London  in  its  present  condition,  it  seems  strange  to 
associate  wild  beasts  and  hunting  with  those  parts 
which  are  surrounded  for  miles  with  human  habitations ; 
although  a  furious  elephant,  an  inmate  of  Cross's  mena- 
gerie, was  shot  as  recently  as  the  year  1826,  close  to  the 


24  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

spot  where  the  Lord  Berkeley  of  ancient  renown  was 
wont,  attended  by  his  thirty  huntsmen  in  tawny  coats, 
to  enjoy  his  venatic  pastime. 

Devoted  as  the  family  were  to  the  chase,  I  have  been 
anxious  to  obtain  some  history  of  their  sporting  career 
from  the  earliest  period  to  the  present  time,  but  un- 
fortunately have  not  been  able  to  do  so.  Frederick 
Augustus,  the  fifth  Earl  Berkeley,  who  was  bom  in  the 
year  1745,  hunted  a  most  extensive  country  for  many 
years,  distinguished  by  the  title  of  the  Old  Berkeley  ; 
but  the  precise  time  when  the  hounds  were  established 
I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain.  His  lordship  had  a 
kennel  at  Cranford,  his  seat  in  Middlesex;  another  at 
Gerrard's  Cross,  in  Buckinghamshire ;  a  third  at  Nettle- 
bed,  in  Oxfordshire,  where  the  house  is  yet  standing 
but  not  the  kennels;  the  fourth  at  Berkeley  Castle. 
Commencing  at  Scratch  Wood,  close  to  Wormwood 
Scrubs,  about  five  miles  from  London,  the  country  held 
by  the  late  noble  lord  reached  beyond  Thombury,  in 
Gloucestershire ;  from  point  to  point  somewhere  about 
120  miles.  The  kennels  appear  to  have  been  singularly 
situated;  the  Gerrard's  Cross  kennel  not  being  more 
than  twelve  or  fourteen  miles  from  Cranford,  and  that 
at  Nettlebed  not  much  more  than  a  similar  distance 
from  Gerrard's  Cross ;  whilst  from  Nettlebed  to  Berkeley 
Castle  it  cannot  be  much  less  than  eighty  miles,  the 
country  around  which  was  principally  devoted  to  cub- 
hunting.  When  hunting  the  intermediate  country,  the 
hounds,  I  suppose,  must  have  had  temporary  accom- 
modation at  inns.  The  foxes  were  not  so  numerous  in 
those  days,  and  the  hounds  were  removed  from  place 
to  place  according  to  circumstances.  Previously  to  Sir 
John  Cope  hunting  the  Bramshill  country,  the  Old 
Berkeley  paid  occasional  visits  to  some  parts  of  it.  In 
fact,  they  were  the  only  hounds  kept  to  hunt  over  a 
vast  extent ;  and  wherever  foxes  were  heard  of,  they 
went  to  hunt  them.  I  have  been  informed  by  Mr. 
Grantley  Berkeley  that  the  old  huntsman,  Tom  Oldaker, 
told  him  the  hounds  once  found  a  fox  in  Scratch  Wood 


LORD    LINCOLN'S    COUNTRY  25 

and  lost  him  in  Kensington  Gardens,  about  which  there 
was  in  those  days  some  rough  ground. 

The  late  Earl  of  Berkeley  gave  his  hounds  and  resigned 
the  country  to  the  Club  a  few  years  before  his  death, 
which  was  in  1810;  they  were  kept  by  subscription  till 
1842,  and  the  servants  continued  to  wear  the  orange 
plush,  or  '  tawny  coats  '  of  Lord  Berkeley's  ancestors. 
Mr.  Harvey  Combe  was  of  late  years  the  leading  man. 
They  did  not,  however,  continue  to  hunt  so  great  an 
extent  of  the  country  as  formerly,  and  in  course  of  time 
new  countries  were  formed.  The  Earl  Fitzhardinge, 
then  Lord  Dursley,  established  a  pack  of  hounds  either 
in  1807  or  1808,  with  which  he  has  hunted  the  Gloucester- 
shire portion  ever  since.  The  old  Berkshire  and  Mr. 
Philips'  countries  have  been  formed  more  recently. 
Latterly  the  Old  Berkeley  countr^^^  was  confined  to  the 
neighbourhood  of  Rickmansworth,  where  Mr.  Harvey 
Combe  had  kennels. 

In  1842  the  country  was  given  up,  in  all  probability 
never  to  be  restored,  and  the  hounds  were  purchased 
by  Lord  Southampton ;  but  there  could  have  been  very 
little,  if  any,  of  the  leaven  of  the  old  sort.  The  masters 
of  these  hounds  had  been  dependent  on  drafts  for  many 
years,  to  which  Sir  Jacob  Astley's  pack  was  added 
when  the  baronet  gave  up  hunting  in  Norfolk.  On 
Mr.  Osbaldeston's  retirement  from  the  Pytchley,  and 
unfortunately  from  fox-hunting  altogether,  he  disposed 
of  his  celebrated  pack  to  Mr.  Harvey  Combe.  This  was 
in  1834 ;  therefore  it  was  principally  the  blood  of  Mr. 
Osbaldeston's  kennel  that  passed  into  Lord  South- 
ampton's, although  in  the  course  of  eight  years  much 
of  that  must  have  been  lost,  from  the  circumstance 
already  named.  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  Mr.  Harvey 
Combe  did  not  hunt  the  Old  Berkeley  country  at  all 
in  1833,  as  that  must  have  been  the  year  when  Captain 
Freeman  was  hunting  it  with  the  hounds  which  he 
brought  from  the  South  wold. 

The  country  around  Retford  clauns  notice  from  having 
been  hunted  at  a  very  early  date.       More  than  two 


26  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

centuries  ago  it  was  hunted  by  Theophilus,  the  fourth 
Earl  of  Lincoln,  who  died  in  1667.  He  was  succeeded 
by  his  grandson,  who  maintained  the  establishment 
twenty-five  years,  when  he  died  without  leaving  issue, 
and  the  hounds  were  either  given  up  or  supported  by 
the  gentlemen  residing  in  the  country.  Soon  afterwards, 
however,  the  country  came  into  the  possession  of  James 
Sanderson,  Lord  Castleton,  of  Castleton  in  Ireland,  and 
Sandbeck,  who  kept  the  hounds  till  his  decease  in  1723, 
having  a  very  noted  huntsman  named  Twisitleton.  On 
the  demise  of  Lord  Castleton,  Thomas,  the  third  Earl 
of  Scarborough,  succeeded  to  the  estates,  and  continued 
to  hunt  the  country  twenty-nine  years,  when  the  final 
who-hoop  of  mortality  closed  his  earthly  career. 

At  the  death  of  the  last-named  nobleman  in  1752  the 
titles  and  estates  came  to  his  son  Richard,  the  fourth 
earl,  who  maintained  the  honours  of  the  chase  with 
great  spirit  during  the  succeeding  thirty  years,  at  the 
expiration  of  which  time  he  paid  the  debt  of  nature, 
when  the  property  fell  to  his  eldest  son  George  Augustus, 
the  fifth  earl,  who  did  not  inherit  a  taste  for  hunting  as 
his  noble  predecessors  had  done ;  consequently  the 
hounds  were  again  returned  upon  the  resources  of  the 
gentlemen  residing  in  the  country.  This  was  only  for  a 
short  period,  when  they  were  taken  in  hand  by  Mr. 
Francis  Foljambe,  grandfather  of  Mr.  George  Saville 
Foljambe,  under  whose  management  they  remained  till 
the  year  1788,  at  which  period  they  were  taken,  during 
the  lifetime  of  his  elder  brother,  by  Richard,  afterwards 
sixth  Earl  of  Scarborough,  who  kept  them  with  great 
success  and  in  very  first-rate  style  till  1822,  when  age 
and  infirmities  compelled  him  to  resign ;  on  which  oc- 
casion the  hounds  were  disposed  of  to  Mr.  George  Saville 
Foljambe,  a  most  zealous  and  highly  accomplished 
sportsman,  who  hunted  them  in  person  several  seasons, 
uniting  great  skill,  untiring  perseverance,  and  a  liberal 
expenditure  of  money,  by  which  means  he  succeeded  in 
establishing  one  of  the  mosit  celebrated  packs  of  hounds 
in  the  kingdom. 


MR.   FOLJAMBE'S   HOUNDS  27 

From  defective  sight,  in,  1845  Mr.  Foljambe  was 
compelled  to  give  up  a  pursuit  of  which  he  was  a  most 
unwearied  patron  and  adherent.  Under  the  influential 
hammer  of  Messrs.  Tattersall,  the  hounds  were  sold  in 
lots  at  the  kennels,  and  realised  upwards  of  £3,500. 
The  horses  were  taken  to  London,  where  four  of  them 
produced  £1,170,  and  the  remaining  sixteen  averaged 
£115  each.  The  aggregate  amount  is  a  sufficient  test 
of  the  judgment  which  prevailed  throughout  the 
establishment. 

The  principal  purchasers  of  the  hounds  were  Lords 
Gal  way  and  H.  Bentinck.  The  former  nobleman  hunted 
the  country  one  season,  since  which  time  they  have 
been  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Lumley,  Mr.  Foljambe 
continuing  to  take  much  interest  in  the  breeding  depart- 
ment, although  unable  to  accompany  the  hounds  in 
chase.  At  one  period  Mr.  Foljambe  had  much  to  con- 
tend with  from  kennel  lameness.  He  erected  kennels 
at  Beilby,  the  lodging-rooms  of  which  were  formerly 
apartments  in  the  old  mansion-house.  The  soil  was  dry 
and  sandy;  here  the  malady  evinced  itself  in  the  most 
formidable  manner;  all  devisable  means  and  remedies 
were  tried  in  vain,  till  they  were  removed  to  another 
situation.  About  the  period  when  Mr.  Foljambe  took 
the  country,  a  portion  of  it  was,  as  I  am  given  to  under- 
stand, retained  by  Johrj,  the  fourth  Earl  of  Scarborough, 
who  hunted  it  till  his  death,  which  unfortunate  event 
was  occasioned  by  his  horse  falling  in  some  ruts  in  1835, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Lord  Henry  Bentinck,  who 
removed  into  the  Burton  country  in  1842 ;  Sir  Richard 
Sutton  at  that  time  taking  the  Cottesmore,  Captain 
Percy  Williams  following  Lord  Henry  Bentinck  in  what 
had  been  denominated  the  Rufford  Hunt.  Thus  no 
vestige  of  the  original  pack  kept  by  the  Earl  of  Lincoln 
can  be  traced,  or  even  of  any  antecedent  to  those  of  the 
two  Earls  of  Scarborough. 

From  the  best  information  I  have  been  able  to  obtain, 
the  Earl  of  Yarborough's  hounds  are  the  oldest  estab- 
lished of  any  that  have  continued  in  the  same  family; 


28  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

they  having  des<!ended   from   heir  to   heir   about   two 
centuries.     The  noble  house   of  Yarborough  has  paid 
vast  attention  to  the  blood  of  their  fox-hounds.     It  is 
justly  esteemed  the  acme  of  perfection.       For  a  long 
series  of  years  no  hound  has  been  retained  unless  he 
is  in  every  respect  worthy  of  preferment.       They  are 
celebrated    for    stoutness,     courage,     speed,     exquisite 
scenting  powers,  and  symmetry.     Governed  by  a  taste 
hereditary  in  the  family  for  the  same  good  properties, 
that  confusion  of  sorts  manifest  in  many  other  kennels 
has  been  avoided  in  this.     ^Vhenever  it  has  been  found 
necessary  to   apply   to   other  establishments   for   fresh 
blood,  it  has  been  obtained  principally  from  those  of 
the   Duke    of   Rutland,    the  late   Lords   Lonsdale   and 
Middleton,  Lord  Fitzwilliam,  Lord  Henry  Bentinck,  Sir 
Tatton    Sykes,    Sir    Richard    Sutton,   Mr.    Osbaldeston 
and  Mr.  Foljambe ;  but  having  sio  many  of  their  own, 
the  alternative  is  not  so  frequently  essential  as  it  is  in 
kennels  where  the  means  are  limited.    In  the  huntsman, 
likewise,  the  same  preference  is  apparent.    The  name  of 
Lord  Yarborough 's  huntsman  has  been  too  well  known 
in  hunting  circles  for  many  years  to  require  an  intro- 
duction ;  the  present  man,  Mr.  William  Smith,  succeeded 
his  father,  who,  in  like  manner,  followed  others  of  his 
kindred.    Frequent  changes  of  either  masters  of  hounds 
or  huntsmen  commonly  occasion  great  confusion,   and 
often  reduce  those  which  boast  of  great  superiority  to 
little    better    than    a   scratch    pack.       Perfections    are 
regarded  so  differently  by  different  men.     This  may  be 
accepted    as    another   reason   why   Lord   Yarborough's 
hounds  have  attained  such  a  high  degree  of  perfection  : 
they  have  experienced  none  of  the  difficulties  incidental 
to  changes,  either  of  masters  or  huntsmen,  except  when 
the  unrelenting  hand  of  death  has  issued  the  mandate 
which  we  must  all  obey. 

Not  being  in  possession  of  authoritative  information, 
I  cannot  state  precisely  how  long  a  time  hounds  have 
been  in  the  possession  of  the  Duke  of  Rutland's  family ; 
but  I  believe  I  am  correct  in  stating  that  it  is  upwards 


THE  DUKE  OF  BEAUFORT'S  29 

of  one  hundred  and  thirty  years ;  consequently  they 
stand  next  to  the  Brocklesby  in  antiquity.  By  that 
remark,  however,  I  must  not  be  understood  to  represent 
that  they  stand  second  to  any  in  perfection.  The  blood 
has  been  highly  valued  for  many  years,  and  there  can- 
not be  a  kennel  of  any  note  in  which  it  is  not  to  be 
found.  Many  years  ago  the  celebrated  pack  with  which 
Mr.  Heron  hunted  Cheshire  was  added  to  the  Belvoir 
kennels,  and  that  contained  much  of  Mr.  Meynell's  blood. 

Earl  Fitzwilliam's  hounds  have  been  established 
nearly,  if  not  quite,  a  century,  and  are  highly  valued. 
At  a  very  early  period,  somewhere  about  the  time  when 
the  then  Duke  of  Beaufort  commenced  hunting  the 
Heythrop  country,  the  Crewe  and  Foley  hounds  were 
introduced  into  these  kennels. 

Among  the  oldest-established  packs  are  the  Duke  of 
Beaufort's,  which  are  readily  traced  back  to  his  Grace's 
grandfather  at  the  close  of  the  last  century.  The  stud- 
hounds  which  his  Grace  has  procured  from  other  kennels 
of  late  years  are  chiefly  from  the  Duke  of  Rutland's, 
Lords  Yarborough's,  Fitzhardinge's,  and  Fitzwilliam's, 
Sir  Richard  Sutton's,  and  Mr.  Horlock's ;  the  latter 
gentleman's  pack  having  belonged  to  the  celebrated 
Mr.  Warde,  the  blood  stands  in  high  repute,  and,  their 
character  differing  from  most  others,  it  is  very  discern- 
ible in  the  progeny.  They  were  large,  slashing  hounds, 
good  workers,  but  their  size  above  the  standard  of  the 
present  day.  There  is,  however,  not  much  of  this  blood 
in  the  Badminton  kennel. 

Mr.  Corbet  had  a  celebrated  hound  called  Trojan; 
Mr.  Osbaldestone  another  of  great  renown  called  Furrier  j 
the  Duke  of  Beaufort  has  one  equally  worthy  of  dis- 
tinction called  Potentate,  and  although  twelve  years 
old  when  I  was  at  Badminton  in  1852  was  enjoying 
his  otium  cum  dignitate  about  the  premises  with 
becoming  importance,  as  worthy  veterans  are  entitled 
to  do.  His  pedigree  will  bear  scrutiny,  and  his  progeny 
is  diffused  in  most  kennels  of  celebrity.  He  is  by 
Wonder  out  of  Prudence,   Wonder  by  Remus  out   of 


80  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

Whimsey.      Prudence    was    bred    by     the    late    Lord 
Lonsdale,  by  his  Lictor  out  of  Pamela.     Whimsey  by 
the  Duke  of  Rutland's  Wildman  out  of  the  Badminton 
Charmer;  the  latter  by  Sir  Thomas  Mostyn's  Edward 
out  of  Whimsey  (entered  in  1816),  by  Mr.  T.  A.  Smith's 
Collier,    out    of    the    Badminton    Gladsome,    by    their 
Roister  out  of  Graceful.    Potentate  is  a  black  and  white 
tanned  hound,   with  great  power ;   and  I  think  I  can 
discern  a  similarity  in  him  to  the  late  Lord  Lonsdale's 
hounds,  to  which  he  is  related,   although  his  blood  is 
principally  of  the  Badminton  sort.    He  was  remarkably 
good  in  drawing  for  his  fox,  was  generally  the  first  to 
find  him,   and  particularly  excellent  at  picking  out  a 
cold  scent.    Rufus  and  Remus  are  likewise  two  remark- 
ably fine  specimens  of  the  fox-hound ;  they  were  entered 
in    1849,    and    in   their   early    days    evinced    so   much 
superiority  that  in  the  entry  for  1851  two  couple  and  a 
half,    the   progeny    of   Rufus,   were    entered;    and    his 
excellence  having  reached  the  ears  of  Sir  Richard  Sutton, 
he  procured  his  services  as  a  stud-hound  in  1853.    Rufus 
and  Remus  were  by  Lord  Fitzwilliam's  Hermit  out  of 
the  Duke  of  Beaufort's  Rarity.       Hermit  was  by  Mr. 
Drake's     Hector.       Hector    by    Lord    Southampton's 
Hazard.    Hazard  by  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's  Harbinger. 
Further  on  the  dam's  side  I  cannot  ascertain,  as  Earl 
Fitzwilliam  does  not  publish  lists  of  his  hounds,  after 
the  custom  of  most  other  fashionable  kennels.     Rarity 
I  remember  seeing  some  years  since,  when  I  was  particu- 
larly impressed  with  her  appearance ;  she  was  a  dark 
pied   bitch,    and   her   sons   somewhat   resemble   her   in 
colour.    Her  sire  was  Rutland,  her  dam  Wary\    Rutland 
by  Mr.  Wyndham's  Cardinal  out  of  Rally ;   Rally  by 
Wanderer  out  of  Raffle ;  and  then  goes  through  a  line 
of  the  Badminton  blood  to  the   late  Lord  Lonsdale's 
and  the  late  Sir  Thomas  Mostyn's,  which  is  forty  years 
ago.     Rufus  and  Remus  bid  fair  to  rival  Potentate,  or 
any    other   predecessor,    in    perpetuating     a    valuable 
succession  in  these  and  other  kennels.    They  show  great 
power  and  symmetry,  without  a  particle  of  coarseness, 
and  are  excellent  in  chase. 


CHAPTER    III 


MASTERS    AND    PRIVILEGES 


The  rights  of  fox-hunting,  as  they  are  now  acknow- 
ledged, have  necessarily  been  adopted,  altered,  and 
extended  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  times  and  the 
customs  which  have  been  introduced  :  they  are  strictly 
conventional.  Forest  laws  and  those  appertaining  to 
the  preservation  of  game  are  of  very  ancient  date, 
having  been  introduced,  it  is  supposed,  by  the  Saxons ; 
and  they  have  been  variously  treated  upon  by  authors 
who  wrote  concerning  them ;  but  they  were  exclusively 
confined  to  the  laws  of  the  land,  and  in  force  only  for 
the  purpose  of  protecting  forest  rights  and  privileges, 
including,  among  other  items,  the  preservation  of 
beasts  of  venery  and  game,  in  which  class  the  fox  was 
not  enrolled. 

Before  fox-hunting  was  modelled  into  an  established 
form  for  the  sake  of  amusement,  it  follows,  as  a  matter 
of  course,  that  no  rules  were  required.  In  those  days, 
when  foxes  were  regarded  as  mischevious  animals, 
whose  speedy  destruction  only  was  contemplated,  it  was 
considered  perfectly  justifiable  to  annihilate  them  under 
any  circumstances,  by  digging,  trapping,  or  other 
devices;  indignities  from  which  they  are  now  secure. 
When  fox-hunting  assumed  ^  degree  of  importance, 
and  masters  of  hounds  became  more  numerous 
throughout  the  kingdom,  it  became  necessary  to  intro- 
duce rules  and  regulations  for  their  guidance,  founded 
upKDn  reasonable  principles  and  good  sense,  although 
unconnected  with  common  law.  In  fact,  when  legal 
measures  are  put  in  force,  they  are  in  some  measure 
opposed  to  it ;  yet  the  rights  of  country  or  the  usages 


32  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

of  fox-hunting  axe  held  as  paramount  by  every  honour- 
able chief  of  the  noble  science. 

In  days  of  yore,  when  countries  were  very  extensive, 
which  was  the  case  with  the  Old  Berkeley  and  others, 
some   of   the  present  observances    were   not  altogether 
necessary.       Of  these  may  be  mentioned  the  etiquette 
observed    of   not    digging   for    a  fox    which   had    been 
marked  to  ground  beyond  the  limits  which  they  were 
accustomed  to  draw.       In  many  parts  of  the  kingdom 
there  were  not  any  hounds  kept;  therefore    such    inter- 
mediate districts  might  be  regarded  as  neutral,  and  it 
would  not  have  been  considered    any  infringement    of 
right  to  get  at  foxes  which  might  run  into  that  neutral 
ground,  by  any  available  means.     The  prevailing  taste 
for    fox-hunting   has   occasioned    the   establishment    of 
hounds  in   almost  every  part   of  England ;   and   thus, 
when  countries  were  divided,  subdivided,  new  portions 
hunted,  and  foxes  preserved  for  the  express  purpose  of 
sport,  it  became  necessary  to  adopt  rules  whereby  the 
limits  were   to   be    defined,   the   coverts   of  each   hunt 
specified,   and  the  observances  to  be  practised  in  the 
event  of  one  master  of  hounds  finding  his  fox  in  his 
own   and   pursuing  him  into   the   country  of  his  neigh- 
bour.    To  these  points,  indeed,  the  rules  of  the  chase 
are  almost  exclusively  confined. 

As  there  is  not  any  national  club  or  society  of 
masters  of  fox-hounds  to  regulate  these  affairs,  after 
the  fashion  of  the  Jockey  Club  on  racing  subjects,  the 
observances  are  only  kept  in  force  by  the  feelings  of 
mutual  respect  which  bind  gentlemen  to  the  perform- 
ance of  those  principles  which  are  essential  to  the  com- 
mon weal,  and  are  consiequently  handed  down  by  word 
of  mouth.  Every  master  of  hounds  considers  it 
incumbent  on  him  to  maintain  the  rights  and  privileges 
of  his  country  for  his  own  benefit  and  the  promotion  of 
sport,  also  that  when  he  resigns  he  may  leave  it  inviolate 
to  his  successor.  Every  landed  proprietor  possesses  a 
legal  right  to  authorize  any  master  of  hounds  to  draw 
his  coverts,  or  to  prevent  any  one  from  entering  them, 


EARTH   STOPPING  33 

if  he  thinks  fit  to  exercise  the  prerogative ;  but  these 
powers,  happily,  are  very  seldom  put  into  effect  in 
opposition  to  the  conventional  regulations  by  which 
the  rights  of  fox-hunting  are  guided.  Controversies 
have  occasionally  happened  as  to  boundaries  ;  but  they 
are  not  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  they  have  generally 
arisen  respecting  coverts  which,  being  at  a  distance 
from  the  kennels  of  one  hunt,  and  nearer  to  those  of 
another,  the  owners  of  the  coverts  have  thought  fit  to 
decide  the  question.  Whatever  may  be  the  expediency 
of  such  arrangements,  they  certainly  are  at  variance 
with  conventional  custom,  and  can  only  be  effected  by 
the  intervention  of  the  laws  relative  to  trespass.  Li 
conformity  with  the  acknowledged  usage,  all  the 
coverts  within  a  given  district  should  be  drawn  only  by 
the  hounds  which  hunt  the  country. 

The  privilege  of  stopping  the  earths  appertains  solely 
to  the  master  of  those  hounds ;  he  has  no  right  to  stop 
any  earths  beyond  his  boundary  without  permission, 
although  sometimes  mutual  arrangements  are  made  to 
stop  on  the  morning  of  hunting  certain  earths  in  the 
borders  of  neighbouring  hunts,  when  the  hounds  meet 
at  certain  places.  This  is  a  very  desirable  agreement, 
because  etiquette  debars  any  master  of  hounds  from 
digging  out  a  fox  under  any  circumstances,  unless 
within  his  own  boundary.  There  are  some  nice  dis- 
tinctions on  this  point  which  cannot  be  too  scrupulously 
observed.  For  example,  although  a  fox  must  not  be 
dug  out  if  he  goes  to  ground  in  a  neighbouring  country, 
if  the  earth  be  so  shallow  that  he  can  be  bolted  or  drawn 
with  a  common  hunting-whip  it  is  lawful  to  do  so ;  but 
the  soil  must  not  be  disturbed  with  a  spade  or  any 
similar  implement.  A  fox  may  be  bolted  by  a  terrier, 
provided  the  terrier  belongs  to  the  master  of  the  hounds 
and  is  therefore  with  them ;  but  it  is  held  inadmissible 
to  borrow  a  dog  for  the  occasion.  This  is  certainly  a 
very  punctilious  exaction,  but  it  is  one  for  which  there 
is  a  precedent,  and  the  propriety  of  it  has  been 
admitted.  In  the  event  of  a  fox  going  to  ground  in  a 
c 


84  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

drain  which  is  open  at  both  ends  so  that  the  terrier  can 
be  entered  at  one  of  them,  that  process  may  be  resorted 
to ;  but  it  is  not  permissible  to  cut  a  hole  into  the  drain 
so  that  the  terrier  can  enter,  because  that  would  be  an 
infraction  of  the  rule  that  the  soil  shall  not  be  broken. 
A  fox  may  also  be  dislodged  by  the  application  of  a 
wisp  of  burning  straw  to  the  opposite  end  of  a  drain,  if 
such  a  device  will  have  the  effect ;  or  if  the  drain  com- 
municates with  a  pond  of  water  he  may  be  driven  out  by 
letting  the  water  flow.  When  a  fox  is  found  to  be 
making  for  an  earth  in  another  country,  a  whipper-in 
may  be  sent  forward  to  place  himself  in  such  a  position 
that  he  can  head  the  fox  back ;  but  then  he  must  not 
stop  the  earth  with  turf,  clods,  stones,  sticks,  or  any 
such  permanent  impediments;  neither  is  it  right  that 
he  should  proceed  to  the  place  till  the  fox  is  on  foot. 
This  last  observance,  upon  reflection,  is  very  proper; 
because  if  it  were  otherw^ise,  by  stationing  men  at  all 
the  earths  they  would  be  most  securely  blockaded. 

When  m  chase,  if  hounds  run  their  fox  into  a  covert 
belonging  to  a  neighbouring  hunt,  they  are  justified  in 
pursuing  their  game ;  but  if  they  cannot  carry  the  scent 
into  the  covert,  they  must  not  enter,  because  although 
it  may  be  highly  probable  the  fox  has  sought  that 
refuge,  unless  there  is  a  scent  to  decide  tlie  point  it  is 
possible  he  may  have  skirted  it,  and  it  would  be  an 
inexcusable  breach  of  decorum  to  make  a  doubt  the 
pretext  for  disturbing  a  covert  belonging  to  another 
hunt. 

The  prerogatives  which  a  master  of  hounds  enjoys  of 
drawing  the  coverts,  of  stopping  the  earths,  digging  out 
foxes  which  may  happen  to  run  to  ground,  and  all  such 
matters,  are  conceded  by  the  general  consent  of  the 
owners  of  the  respective  coverts;  and  although  any 
individual  may,  by  authority  of  the  laws  of  trespass, 
warn  him  not  to  draw  the  coverts,  such  a  course  is  at 
variance  with  the  conventional  rules  of  fox-hunting, 
and  is  therefore  very  seldom  acted  upon.  A  gentleman 
resident  in   the   country   would   be   very   reluctant   to 


DIVISION  OF  COUNTRIES  35 

render  himself  so  unpopular,  even  if  he  were  not  on 
friendly  terms  with  the  master  of  the  hounds ;  for  such 
a  proceeding  is  a  cause  of  great  annoyance  to  the 
sporting  community ;  and  it  is  scarcely  possible  that 
any  gentleman  can  be  installed  asi  master  of  hounds  but 
with  the  consent  of  a  majority  of  the  most  influential 
owners  of  coverts.  Thus  he  becomes  in  the  position  of 
a  trustee  for  the  members  of  the  hunt;  and  it  is,  conse- 
quently, a  duty  of  his  office  to  regard  all  the  rights  and 
privileges  appertaining  thereto ;  therefore  he  cannot 
resign  in  perpetuum  any  coverts  belonging  to  the 
country  without  the  approval  of  a  majority  of  the 
covert  owners.  At  the  same  time  he  may,  as  a  matter 
of  accommodation,  allow  any  other  master  of  hounds  to 
draw  certain  coverts,  provided  the  sanction  is  obtained 
of  the  persons  to  whom  those  coverts  belong.  When- 
ever such  arrangements  are  entered  into,  reducing  the 
terms  to  writing  will  be  found  the  best  security  from 
disputes :  most  of  the  disagreeable  discussions  which 
have  arisen  are  in  consequence  of  that  simple  pre- 
caution having  been  neglected.  It  is  obvious  that  a 
lapse  of  years  must  render  verbal  agreements  doubtful ; 
more  especially  if  one  of  the  parties  should  happen  to 
die. 

Alterations  of  boundaries  have  not  been  very 
frequent  of  late  years ;  but  several  divisions  of  countries 
have  taken  place.  During  the  period  when  Sir  F.  L.  H. 
Goodriche  had  the  Quorn  that  country  was  divided ; 
the  north-western  portion,  known  as  the  Donnington 
Hunt,  became  a  separate  district ;  and  they  were 
hunted  by  two  different  packs  till  the  season  before  last, 
when  Sir  Richard  Sutton  having  the  Quorn,  and  the 
Donnington  becoming  vacant,  he  undertook  to  hunt 
them  both ;  but  that  does  not,  as  I  am  given  to  under- 
stand, reunite  them  beyond  the  term  of  Sir  Richard's 
mastership.  The  Heythrop  country,  which  had  been 
hunted  by  the  late  Duke  of  Beaufort  for  many  years, 
became  a  distinct  country  at  about  the  same  time  as 
the  Donnington,  as  it  was  in  1834  that  his  Grace  gave 


36  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

it  up.  This  country  was  hunted  by  the  respective 
Dukes  of  Beaufort  upwards  of  eighty  years ;  but  lying 
wide  from  Badminton,  and  foxes  in  that  neighbourhood 
becoming  more  plentiful,  it  was  an  alteration  conducive 
to  the  convenience  of  all  parties.  The  H.H.,  hunted 
with  remarkable  success  by  the  late  Mr.  Villebois, 
included  the  Hursley,  until  the  period  when  Captain 
Haworth  had  the  management.  The  division  of  the 
Bramshill  Hunt,  formerly  the  late  Sir  John  Cope's,  is 
of  more  recent  date.  During  the  lifetime  of  the  worthy 
baronet  a  portion  of  the  country  was  lent  to  Mr.  Thoyts, 
and  subsequently  to  Mr.  Montagu  ;  but  when  Sir  John, 
in  consequence  of  increasing  age  and  infirmities,  gave 
up  his  hounds  and  country  to  Mr.  Wheble  in  the  year 
1850,  the  whole  was  again  formed  into  one ;  and  so 
matters  continued  till  1852,  when  a  division,  which  is 
understood  as  a  permanent  arrangement,  was  made  :  — 
Mr.  Wheble  continuing  to  hunt  the  western  portion, 
and  Mr.  Garth  the  eastern,  having  the  River  Loddon  as 
a  boundary. 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  misunderstandings 
should  ever  arise  between  two  masters  of  hounds 
hunting  adjacent  countries ;  and  whenever  such  dis- 
putes occur,  reference  to  some  disinterested  parties  is 
by  far  the  most  satisfactory  means  of  adjustment. 
Unfortunately  it  sometimes  happens  that  the  privileges 
which  the  law  affords  are  brought  into  effect  in  oppos- 
ition to  the  conventional  usages  recognised  by  sports- 
men. The  question  turns  upon  this  point  :  Will  a 
gentleman  avail  himself  of  that  power  which  the  law 
affords  him,  or  will  he  be  guided  by  those  rules  which 
the  class  and  society  in  which  he  moves  have  adopted 
for  their  mutual  convenience,  harmony,  and  welfare  ? 
Supposing  a  gentleman  who  is  possessed  of  an  extensive 
estate,  on  which  there  are  fox-coverts  within  the 
precincts  of  an  established  hunt,  thinks  proper  to  keep 
a  pack  of  hounds  to  hunt  an  adjoining  country  that  is 
vacant ;  resorting  to  his  legal  power,  he  might  un- 
doubtedly draw  the  coverts  on  his  own  property,  and 


RIGHT   OF   COVERTS  37 

he  might  exert  his  influence  in  persuading  neighbouring 
gentlemen  to  take  their  coverts  from  the  original  hunt 
and  permit  him  to  draw  them ;  but  such  proceedings 
would  be  totally  at  variance  with  the  conventional 
usages  of  sportsmen.  If  the  general  custom  were  other- 
wise, the  most  annoying  circumstances  would  con- 
stantly arise  to  frustrate  the  efforts  and  overturn  the 
arrangements  of  masters  of  hounds.  Every  estate  that 
might  happen  to  be  sold,  having  coverts  thereon,  or 
any  such  coverts  changing  proprietors  by  inheritance 
or  otherwise,  might  be  the  means  of  nearly  breaking  up 
many  hunting  establishments,  if  the  code  of  con- 
ventional regulations  did  not  in  a  general  way,  by  con- 
sent, prevail  over  the  laws  of  the  land. 

The  sporting  country  of  Warwick  may  be  mentioned 
as  an  example  of  the  etiquette  observed  with  respect  to 
the  privileges  of  masters  of  hounds.  In  the  days  of  Mr. 
Corbet  the  whole  of  the  country  now  denominated  the 
Warwickshire  was  hunted  by  that  gentleman,  together 
with  that  which  has  been  since  called  the  North  Warwick- 
shire, and  altogether  it  was  very  extensive.  None  of 
Mr.  Corbet's  successors  have  ever  hunted  the  whole  of 
it.  Coverts  on  the  boundaries,  and  woodlands,  have 
been  lent  to  masters  of  hounds  by  way  of  accommoda- 
tion and  convenience  to  all  parties,  and  for  several  years 
a  great  portion  was  not  hunted  at  all  till  Mr.  Vyner 
entered  on  the  northern  division — an  arrangement 
sanctioned  by  the  owners  of  the  coverts  and  the  master 
of  the  Warwickshire  hounds ;  but  it  was  not  separated 
so  as  to  be  considered  an  independent  or  integral 
country.  It  was  held  on  the  same  conditions,  by  Mr. 
Hellier,  and  also  by  Mr.  Willson,  the  respective  suc- 
cessors to  Mr.  Vyner.  Again  becoming  vacant,  some  of 
the  coverts  have  been  drawn  by  the  Atherstone  hounds. 
Mr.  Selby  Lowndes  ejiters  upon  it  on  similar  terms  to 
those  which  were  observed  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Vyner. 
Another  example  may  be  introduced  of  the  Bourton 
Woods,  in  the  Earl  Fitzhardinge's  Broadway  country, 
which   are    the    private    property  of  Lord  RedesdaJe. 


38  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

Earl  Fitzhardinge's  hounds  have  drawn  those  coverts 
ever  since  they  were  estabhshed,  and  they  continue  to 
do  so,  although  Lord  Redesdale,  being  the  master  of 
the  Heythrop,  could  exercise  his  legal  right  and  draw 
them  with  his  own  hounds,  if  he  did  not  consider  the 
conventional  usage  a  paramount  obligation  between 
masters  of  hounds. 

There  have  been  conflicting  opinions  respecting  the 
privilege  of  following  hounds.  By  some  it  has  been 
argued  that  the  fox  is  a  noxious  animal,  and  therefore 
prejudicial  to  the  public  welfare ;  consequently  that  his 
destruction  isi  a  laudable  act.  With  this  view,  it  has 
been  held  that  a  person  may  trespass  on  the  lands  of 
another  for  the  purpose  of  killing  the  fox,  providing 
unreasonable  damage  be  not  committed.  On  the  other 
hand,  regarding  fox-hunting  purely  as  an  amusement 
and  contending  thsat  the  pleasure  of  the  chase  not  the 
destruction  of  the  animal  is  the  avowed  object,  an 
action,  it  is  said,  can  be  maintained  against  persons  for 
trespassing.  The  last  must  be  admitted  to  be  the  true 
version  of  the  affair,  however  expansively  legal 
technicalities  may  favour  a  transgression  of  the  law. 
This  would  be  a  formidable  impediment  to  fox-hunting ; 
but  in  general  the  sport  is  held  in  such  universal  favour 
that  few  persons  are  disposed  to  take  advantage  of 
occasional  damage.  In  the  early  part  of  the  reign  of 
William  IV.  an  Act  was  passed  relative  to  trespass,  in 
which  there  is  a  clause  exonerating  any  persons  who 
may  be  found  on  lands  following  hounds,  or  greyhounds 
in  fresh  pursuit  of  stag,  fox,  or  hare,  already  started  on 
other  lands. 

Several  examples  might  be  introduced  of  disputes 
relative  to  the  right  of  drawing  particular  coverts ;  but 
I  am  not  aware  that  any  advantages  would  result  from 
doing  so,  particularly  of  naming  those  hunts  the 
members  of  which  have  been  engaged  in  controversy. 
They  have  in  most  cases  arisen  from  some  imperfectly 
defined  conditions ;  but  as  a  precedent  I  may  introduce 
a  circumstance    which   occurred    in   a   midland  countv 


RIGHTS   AND  PRIVILEGES  89 

many  years  ago,  iii  which  the  courteous  and  manly 
bearing  of  both  parties  cannot  be  too  highly  com- 
mended. A  gentleman  of  great  celebrity  as  a  master  of 
fox-hounds  was  in  possession  of  a  certain  countn^  when 
a  noble  duke  established  a  pack  of  hounds,  and  one  day 
fixed  to  meet  at  one  of  his  own  coverts,  but  which 
belonged,  according  to  fox-hunting  usage,  to  the  hunt 
presided  over  by  the  first-named  gentleman,  who  there- 
upon wrote  to  the  duke,  observing  that  according  to 
the  customs  or  rights  of  country  he  could  not  draw  the 
covert,  although  it  was  his  own  property.  The  fixture 
was  consequently  altered.  Soon  after  this,  the  master 
of  the  hounds  whose  prerogative  it  was  to  draw  it  made 
an  appointment  to  meet  there ;  the  noble  duke  was 
present  and  was  thus  addressed  by  the  gentleman  in 
question : — "  My  Lord  Duke,  I  am  extremely  sorry 
that  my  duty  as  the  present  occupier  of  this  country 
compelled  me  to  claim  my  right  to  draw  this  covert ; 
having  done  so,  I  now  concede  it  to  your  Grace  so  long 
as  I  hunt  the  country,  and  have  no  doubt  it  will  afford 
you  good  sport." 

On  the  rights  of  fox-hunting  Beckford  is  silent ; 
probably  very  little  notice  was  taken  in  his  time  of 
many  events  which  then  being  unimportant  did  not  call 
for  observation ;  but  times  have  changed  materially, 
and  those  which  were  considered  trivial  circumstances 
would  now  be  very  important  items  in  the  promotion  of 
sport. 

To  preside  over  and  to  promote  the  interests  of 
racing,  the  Jockey  Club  exercises  powers  scarcely 
second  to  those  of  the  Legislature.  The  chase  has  no 
such  guardian  for  its  protection.  It  has  prospered 
generously  without  ;  but  would  it  not  flourish  more 
\'igorously  under  some  similar  patronage  ?  Hunt 
clubs  have  been  in  existence  for  many  years  in  various 
countries,  and  their  effects  connecting  hunting  with 
other  subjects  of  social  intercourse  have  been  most 
successful.  Previously  to  the  brilliant  career  of  Mr. 
Meynell  there  was  a  hunt  club  in  Leicestershire,  which 


40  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

had  its  head-quarters  at  Quorndon  Hall,  the  residence 
subsequently  of  that  renowned  chief  of  the  noble 
science,  who  purchased  the  mansion  from  Lord  Ferrers. 
Warwickshire  has  a  club  which  flourished  in  the  days  of 
Mr.  Corbet.  The  Worcestershire  Hunt  Club  is  likewise 
of  old  standing  and  material  influence.  The  Beaufort 
and  the  Berkeley  Hunt  Clubs  command  their  own 
positions  without  eulogy  from  me. 

A  national  hunt  club  in  London  would  be  a  popular 
association,  and,  in  the  event  of  dissension,  would  be 
a  tribunal  for  reference.  The  Army,  the  Navy,  the 
Church,  have  each  of  them  their  leading  clubs,  whose 
locality  is  in  the  great  emporium  of  wealth,  intelligence, 
enterprise,  and  learning;  and  wherefore  should  not  the 
chase  be  represented  with  the  same  social  spirit  ? 
Politicians  of  all  orders — Tories,  Conservatives,  Liberals, 
Whigs — Law,  Physic,  Nautical  Enterprises,  and  nearly 
all  the  engagements  in  which  pleasures  or  profits  tempt 
US)  to  embark,  have  their  orders  represented  at  the  great 
metropolis.  But  fox-hunting,  although  recognised  as 
the  first  of  our  national  amusements,  has  no  presiding 
genius  to  adopt  rules  for  the  guidance  of  its  votaries, 
watch  over  its  general  prosperity,  or  minister  to  its 
social  properties. 


CHAPTER   IV 


THE     ORIGIN     OF     HOUNDS 


Most  naturalists  are  of  opinion  that  ib!e  varieties  of  the 
canine  race  are  derived  from  the  sheep-dog;  that, 
however,  is  a  theory  concerning  which  some  doubt  may 
be  expressed.  There  can,  however,  be  no  question 
that  originally  there  was  but  one  variety,  but  of  the 
peculiar  characters  of  that  variety  it  is  utterly  im- 
possible to  form  a  decided  opinion.  The  effects  of 
climate,  domestication,  food,  and  cultivation,  have 
wonderful  influences  on  animals.  It  is  therefore  more 
rational  to  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  different 
varieties  have  been  produced  by  those  means,  than  to 
imagine  that  the  animal  we  now  term  a  sheep-dog  was 
the  primitive  parent.  It  would  be  equally  reasonable 
to  suppose  that  the  fox-hound,  the  blood-hound,  the 
pointer,  the  setter,  the  spaniel,  the  mastiff,  or  the  grey- 
hound, was  the  original  and  that  the  sheep-dog  is 
descended  from  one  of  them,  as  that  all  those  classes 
should  be  identified  with  the  sheep-dog  as  the  common 
ancestor.  The  sheep-dogs  of  different  countries  differ 
most  essentially  from  each  other.  Take,  for  example, 
the  dogs  used  for  this  purpose  in  Scotland,  called  the 
Colly,  and  compare  them  with  the  bob-tailed  curs 
which  are  known  in  England.  Some  authors  go  even 
further  than  this,  and  argue  that  the  dog  was  not 
originally  created,  but  that  he  sprang  from  the 
domestication  of  the  wolf,  the  jackal,  or  the  fox. 

How  can  we  reconcile  such  a  theory  when  we  bear  in 
mind  that  the  wild,  ferocious  wolf  is  the  avowed  enemy 
of  man,  and  that  the  faithful  dog  is  his  constant,  trusty 


42  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

companion  and  protector  ?  Nevertheless,  it  is  authenti- 
cated that  the  dog  and  wolf  will  breed  together,  and 
the  same  intercourse  has  been  known  between  the  dog 
and  the  fox,  but  it  is  very  rare ;  and  as  no  beneficial 
purpose  can  result  from  such  a  cross  beyond  that  of 
curiosity,  it  is  an  experiment  which  very  few  persons 
think  fit  to  trouble  themselves  about.  It  is,  however, 
scarcely  necessary  to  dwell  upon  such  remote  subjects, 
inasmuch  as  we  cannot  come  to  any  positive  conclusions. 
From  whatever  source  they  may  have  sprung,  the  dogs 
of  Great  Britain  have  been  celebrated  from  a  very  early 
period.  Grotius,  Appianus,  and  Nemesianus — ancient 
authors  who  have  treated  on  the  chase — mention  the 
excellence  of  British  dogs  for  hunting ;  yet  there  is  much 
obscurity  as  to  the  kind  of  dogsi  they  referred  to. 
They  are  described  as  being  crooked,  lean,  coarse- 
haired  and  heavy-eyed.  It  has  been  asserted  by  Dr. 
Johnson  in  his  Life  of  Sir  Thomas  Browne,  that  the 
dogs  used  by  the  ancients  did  not  hunt  by  scent ;  but  in 
this  the  learned  author  may  have  been  mistaken. 
When  pursuing  their  game  in  the  woodlands,  thickets, 
and  rough  grounds  which  prevailed,  it  is  assuming 
too  much  to  suppose  they  could  have  hunted  exclusively 
by  view.  It  appears  very  certain  they  had  dogs  which 
followed  both  by  scent  and  by  view;  and  thus,  by 
combining  their  individual  powers,  were  enabled  to 
subdue  their  game.  Hunting  was  not  confined  to  the 
plain  open  country,  and  we  learn  from  ancient  writers 
that  the  chase  was  frequently  very  long.  The  ancients 
might  have  had  dogs  similar  to  our  greyhounds,  which 
followed  their  game  by  sight,  and  there  is  no  doubt  they 
had ;  but  they  could  only  be  used  in  open  districts,  and 
that  is  no  argument  that  they  did  not  also  possess 
animals  which  followed  by  scent,  although  they  might 
not  be  so  well  disciplined,  nor  perhaps  able  to  hunt  so 
cold  a  scent  as  the  houndg  of  later  date.  It  is  a  faculty 
inherent  in  some  kinds  of  dogs,  and  is  no  doubt  im- 
proved by  being  called  into  action.  The  extracts 
which  I  have  given  from  the  old  work  of  Edmund  of 


HOUNDS  OF   OUR   ANCESTORS  4a 

Langley,*  clearly  show  that  hunting  was  performed  with 
hounds  whose  individual  properties  enabled  them  to 
himt  by  scent  and  by  view.  Thus,  those  which  ran  by 
scent  were  used  in  the  coverts,  and  those  which  ran  by 
view,  in  the  open.  The  horn  was  also  used  indiscrimin- 
ately to  call  them  together. 

However  the  variety  may  have  been  produced,  the 
English  fox-hound  stands  unrivalled  for  all  purposes  of 
hunting,  and  it  is  unanimously  admitted  that  he  soon 
degenerates  in  any  other  country ;  which  is  proof  in- 
contestable of  the  effects  of  treatment  and  of  climate. 
By  continuing  to  breed  from  animals  endowed  with 
certain  predominant  faculties,  and  gifted  with  par- 
ticular characteristics  of  shape  and  make,  the  degree  of 
perfection  to  which  they  have  arrived  has  undoubtedly 
been  accomplished.  The  blood-hound,  or  sleuth-hound, 
is  most  probably  the  line  from  which  our  fox-hounds 
are  descended  ;  for  as  it  appears  that  hounds  were  not 
kept  exclusively  for  the  chase  of  the  fox  much  more 
than  two  centuries  back,  we  cannot  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  peculiar  description  of  hound  was 
attempted  to  be  bred  until  his  services  were  required. 
The  hounds  we  read  of  some  four  or  five  hundred  years 
ago  are  described  as  black  and  tan,  to  which  the 
blood-hound  of  the  present  day  bears  an  identical 
resemblance.  How  that  variety  was  produced  it  is 
impossible  to  say.  From  time  to  time,  by  crossing,  and 
perhaps  the  effect  of  climate,  other  colours  have  come 
forth ;  and  from  them  there  is  good  reason  for  asserting 
that  the  present  race  of  fox-hounds  is  derived. 

There  also  appears,  on  the  authority  of  old  writers  on 
hunting  subjects,  a  distinction  between  the  hounds  in 
the  north  and  south  of  England.  They  are  described  as 
the  northern  and  southern  hounds.  The  former,  having 
been  bred  principally  in  Yorkshire,  were  characterised 
with  smaller  heads  and  lighter  in  their  make ;  more 
speedy  and  active  than  the  southern  variety,  but  not 

*  See  footnote  on  page  4. 


44  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

endowed  with  so  much  acuteness  of  scent.  The  others 
had  large,  square-formed  heads,  with  long  ears,  slow, 
but  persevering,  and  possessed  of  most  delicate  nose. 

We  may  readily  understand  the  gradations  through 
which  the  hound  has  passed  ere  he  reached  the  degree 
of  excellence  at  M'hich  he  has  arrived.  Masters  of 
hounds  are  not  contented  unless  they  can  combine  many 
more  perfections  in  their  packs  than  those  which 
flourished  Anno  Domini  1750.  Pace,  for  example,  was 
a  quality  not  so  much  valued.  It  was  not  till  the  ardent 
spirits  who  were  the  first  to  press  upon  hounds  in  chase 
in  the  days  of  Mr.  Meynell,  that  it  was  considered 
essential  to  breed  them  so  fleet  as  to  render  it  difficult 
to  override  them.  Thorough-bred  horses  becoming 
more  numerous  and  being  introduced  in  the  hunting- 
field,  is  another  reason  why  it  became  necessary  to 
procure  speedy  hounds,  and  by  breeding  from  that  sort, 
the  quality  of  pace  has  been  attained.  From  the  ac- 
counts we  read  of  runs  in  the  earlier  days  of  fox-hunting, 
it  is  quite  certain  they  did  not  go  anything  like  the 
pace  of  the  present  time.  In  another  chapter  I  propose 
to  give  some  accounts  of  those  chases  in  illustration  of 
this  assertion ;  it  is  therefore  unnecessary  to  dwell  upon 
that  subject.  There  may  be  some  persons  who  are  of 
opinion  that  in  the  attainment  of  speed,  the  scenting 
faculty  has  been  reduced;  it  may  be  so,  to  a  trifling 
extent ;  but  the  excitement  of  the  chase,  and  the  per- 
fection of  the  hound,  have  been  materially  enhanced. 
Old  Towler  of  1748  might  have  been  supposed  able  to 
hunt  a  scent  ten  minutes  later  than  the  Duke  of 
Beaufort's  Potentate  of  1848  could  own  it.  Supposing 
Potentate  ran  his  fox  over  six  miles  of  country  in  thirty 
minutes,  and  it  took  Old  Towler  forty  minutes  to  ac- 
complish the  same  distance,  they  would,  as  far  as 
hunting  properties  are  concerned,  be  upon  equal  terms 
at  that  point ;  but  as  foxes  usually  travel  on,  Potentate 
would  have  considerably  the  best  of  it  at  the  end  of  the 
next  three  miles. 

It  would  be  interesting  if  we  could  trace  the  pedigrees 


THE   OLD   QUORN   BLOOD  45 

of  hounds,  as  we  can  of  horses  in  a  stud-book,  to  an 
earh-  date ;  but  unfortunately  that  cannot  be  done  to 
any  extent.  The  uncontrollable  vicissitudes  occasioned 
by  deaths  and  resignations,  in  consequence  of  which 
many  of  the  oldest-established  packs  have  been  sold  in 
lots,  have  caused  them  to  be  dispersed;  but  for  the 
information  of  those  who  are  curious  in  such  matters, 
I  will  endeavour  to  show,  in  the  best  manner  I  am 
able,  the  kennels  into  which  they  have  passed,  and  will 
begin  with  those  of  Mr.  Meynell,  so  justly  distinguished 
as  the  old  Quorn  blood. 

In  the  year  1793  Mr.  Lambton  purchased  a  pack  of 
hounds  from  the  Lord  Talbot  of  that  day.  They  had 
been  hunting  a  portion  of  Staffordshire,  in  the  vicinity 
of  Ingestre  Hall,  Rugeley,  and  Cannock  Chase. 
Previously  to  that  time,  in  1780,  Lord  Talbot  procured 
eighteen  couples  and  a  half  of  hounds,  crosses  between 
Mr.  Meynell 's  and  Lord  Fitz William's,  and  also  Mr. 
Meynell's  and  Lord  Ludlow's  blood  ;  and  in  sub- 
sequent years  the  former  gentleman's  kennel  was  had 
recourse  to  for  fresh  infusions  ;  likewise  Mr.  Heron's, 
who  at  that  period  hunted  the  Cheshire  country,  and 
had  much  of  the  Quorn  blood  in  his  kennel.  The  latter 
draft  was  procured  by  Mr.  Lambton  in  1813.  The 
Lambton  hounds,  it  will  be  remembered,  were  sold  to 
Lord  Suffield,  to  go  into  Leicestershire  in  1838,  at  the 
large  price  of  3,000  guineas,  being  1,000  more  than  had 
ever  been  given  for  a  pack  before.  It  consisted  of 
sixty-six  couples  of  old  hounds  and  forty  couples  of 
young  ones.  They  only  remained  in  Lord  Suffield 's 
possession  one  year,  when  they  became  the  property  of 
Mr.  Robertson,  who  took  them  into  Berwickshire.  At 
his  retirement  a  few  years  afterwards,  if  my  memory 
serves  me,  they  were  sold  in  lots.  A  good  deal  of  the 
Quorn  blood  went  into  the  Cheshire  kennels,  as  Mr. 
Heron  bred  from  that  source  for  many  years ;  but  little, 
if  any,  of  it  can  be  recognised  there  at  the  present  time^ 
in  consequence  of  the  unfortunate  malady  which  broke 
out   in   the   Cheshire    establishment    some    vears    since> 


46  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

Kennel  madness  was  the  cause  of  their  being  nearly  all 
of  them  destroyed.  Mr,  Heron  sold  his  pack  many 
years  ago  to  the  Duke  of  Rutland,  and  those  hounds 
were  extensively  used  to  breed  from ;  thereiore,  in  all 
probability,  there  is  as  much  or  more  of  the  old  Quorn 
blood  in  the  Belvoir  kennels  than  any  other.  Mr. 
Meynell  Ingram  of  Hoarcross,  Staffordshire,  grandson  of 
the  celebrated  Mr.  Meynell,  had  some  of  the  old  blood 
from  Mr.  Heron,  and  that  is  another  kennel  to  which  it 
can  be  directly  traced.  Ten  couples  of  Mr.  Meynell's 
hounds  were  presented  by  that  renowned  sportsman  to 
his  friend  the  late  Mr.  Musters,  who  sold  his  hounds  to 
Mr.  T.  A.  Smith  in  1814,  when  the  latter  gentleman 
was  hunting  the  Quorn  country. 

The  history  of  Mr.  Corbet's  celebrated  pack  with 
which  he  hunted  Warwickshire  is  singular,  and  there- 
fore deserving  of  particular  notice.  He  became  the 
purchaser  of  some  harriers  at  Tattersall's,  among  which 
was  a  bitch  named  Tidings ;  but  her  pedigree  was  not 
known.  Being  very  superior,  and  having  the  appear- 
ance of  a  dwarf  fox-hound,  she  was  sent  to  the  Pytchley 
kennels  and  put  to  the  Earl  Spencer's  Trueboy,  and  she 
produced  a  hound  named  Trojan,  which  was  entered  in 
1780,  ten  or  twelve  years  before  Mr.  Corbet  went  into 
Warwickshire,  at  the  time  when  he  hunted  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Lichfield.  Meeting  one  day  at 
Chillington,  a  fox  was  found  which  ran  a  ring,  and 
returning  leaped  the  park  wall,  over  which  Trojan 
followed  him ;  but  none  of  the  other  hounds  could  ac- 
complish it.  On  being  taken  through  the  gate  they 
found  Trojan,  single-handed,  had  marked  his  fox  into  a 
drain.  He  performed  ai  similar  feat  of  activity  at  Sand- 
well  Park,  the  seat  of  Lord  Dartmouth,  between 
Birmingham  and  Wednesbury.  A  fox  was  found  in  a 
neighbouring  wood,  and  he  cleared  the  high  wall  inte 
Sandwell  Park,  followed  by  Trojan  only.  The  pack, 
as  on  the  former  occasion,  entered  at  the  gate,  and 
found  Trojan  carrying  on  the  scent,  when  the  wall  at  the 
opposite  side  arrested  their  progress,  with  the  exception 


TROJAN  47 

of  the  single  hound.  He  still  carried  on  the  scent  to 
another  wood,  where  the  pack  joined  him,  and,  pointing 
for  Uffmoor  Wood  between  Halesowen  and  Hagley, 
after  an  excellent  run  they  killed  their  fox.  I  have 
often  heard  the  exploits  of  this  celebrated  hound 
spoken  of  by  the  late  Mr.  Holyoake  (father  of  Sir  F.  L. 
Goodriche  and  of  Mr.  T.  Holyoake),  who  was  a 
distinguished  member  of  Mr.  Corbet's  hunt.  Trojan 
however,  could  not  have  been  in  existence  at  the  time 
Mr.  Corbet  entered  upon  the  Warwickshire  country, 
because,  as  nearly  as  I  can  make  out,  it  was  not  till 
about  the  year  1792  that  he  had  the  kennels  at 
Stratford-on-Avon.  Be  that  as  it  may,  Trojan  was  the 
favourite  progenitor  of  the  pack,  and,  from  what  I  have 
been  informed,  Mr.  Corbet  rather  went  into  extremes 
by  breeding  too  closely ;  yet  the  very  great  fame  which 
his  hounds  attained  must  be  confirmatory  of  the 
assertion  that  no  extensive  indiscretion  of  that  kind 
could  have  been  practised.  Beckford  says,  *'  A  very 
famous  sportsman  has  told  me  that  he  frequently  breeds 
from  brothers  and  sisters.  As  I  should  be  very  unwilling 
to  urge  anything  in  opposition  to  such  authority,  you 
had  better  try  it ;  and  if  it  succeeds  in  hounds,  it  is 
more,  I  believe,  than  it  usually  does  in  other  animals." 
Whether  this  great  authority  referred  to  Mr.  Corbet  as 
*'  the  very  famous  sportsman,"  I  cannot  presume  to 
state,  as  he  makes  no  allusion  to  any  name,  neither 
does  he  recommend  incestuous  breeding  from  his  own 
experience ;  and  breeders  of  hounds  of  the  present  day 
are  unanimously  opposed  to  it.  Beckford  very 
judiciously  observes,  "  that  to  look  well  they  should 
be  all  nearly  of  a  size ;  and  I  even  think  they  should  all 
look  of  the  same  family."  Somerville  adds  weight  to 
this  in  his  usual  beautiful  style  : — 

"  But  above  all  take  heed,  nor  mix  thy  hounds 
Of  diff'rent  kinds;  discordant  sounds  shall  grate 
Thy  cars  offended,  and  a  lagging  line 
Of  babbling  curs  disgrace  thy  broken  pack." 

Again  Beckford  says,  "There  are  necessary  points  in 


48  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

the  shape  of  a  hound  which  ought  always  to  be  attended 
to  by  a  sportsman."  Holding  these  opinions  in  great 
respect,  I  have  often  been  surprised  at  masters  of 
hounds  resorting  to  kennels  for  fresh  blood,  the  character- 
istics of  which  are  totally  different  from  those  of  their 
own  packs  in  symmetry  and  style  of  working. 

On  Mr.  Corbet's  retirement  from  the  list  of  masters 
of  hounds  in  1812,  he  sold  his  pack  to  his  successor,  the 
late  Lord  Middleton,  who  hunted  Warwickshire  till 
1822,  when,  in  consequence  of  a  severe  fall,  his  lordship 
declined,  and  the  hounds  were  transferred  to  the  care 
of  his  friend  Sir  Tatton  Sykes.  Judging  from  a  portrait 
which  I  have  seen  of  the  celebrated  Trojan  and  a  stud 
hound  from  Sir  Tatton  Sykes 's  named  Villager  at  the 
Berkeley  kennels  in  1852,  the  same  character  is  pre- 
served. Whether  the  latter  is  a  descendant  of  Trojan 
I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain.  But  he  may  be  thus 
described ;  his  colour  is  black  and  white,  with  tan, 
rather  compact  in  form,  with  short  good  legs,  verj' 
deep  in  his  chest,  capital  loins  and  thighs,  and  remark- 
ably quick  and  active ;  has  a  sensible-looking  head, 
and  is  twenty-three  inches  high. 

That  it  is  not  possible  Trojan  was  in  work  when  Mr. 
Corbet  hunted  Warwickshire  will  be  gleaned  from  the 
following  particulars.  The  precise  time  of  his  com- 
mencement as  a  master  of  hounds  isi  not  known ;  but  he 
was  born  in  1752,  and  therefore,  assuming  that  on 
coming  of  age  in  1773,  he  made  his  debut,  that  must  be 
very  nearly  the  correct  time.  At  first  he  had  some  fox- 
hounds, with  which  he  hunted  in  his  native  county  of 
Salop;  but  Mr.  Childe,  of  Kinlet,  hunting  one  portion, 
and  Mr.  Forester,  of  Willey  Park,  another,  he  was  con- 
fined for  want  of  space,  and  converted  them  into 
harriers.  After  a  time  he  obtained  possession  of  the 
country  near  Lichfield,  and  resiumed  the  chase  of  the 
fox,  the  village  of  Shenstone  being  head-quarters  from 
whence  he  hunted  some  of  the  boundary  coverts  in 
Warwickshire ;  and  in  1792,  or  thereabouts,  he  entered 
upon  the  whole  county,  having  his  kennels  at  Stratford- 


JOHN    WARDE  49 

on-Avon.  Trojan  was  entered  in  1780,  therefore  it  is 
not  possible  he  should  have  formed  a  portion  of  the 
working  hounds  so  many  years  afterwards  :  it  was  with 
his  progeny  that  Mr.  Corbet  shone  so  conspicuously  as  a 
master  of  fox-hounds. 

As  an  extensive  breeder  of  hounds  of  the  old  school, 
the  late  Mr.   John  Warde   stands  pre-eminent.       This 
highly  esteemed  and  worthy  specimen  of  the  English 
country  gentleman  died  in  London,  Dec.  9th,  1838,  at 
the  great  age    of   eighty-six,  having  been    a    master  of 
hounds  during  the  lengthened  period  of  fifty-six  years. 
To   render  this   statement    explicit   it   is    necessary   to 
remark  that  he  sold  his  last  pack  to  Mr.  W.  Horlock  in 
1826  for  2,000  guineas,  at  which  time  he  was  hunting 
the  Craven   country  in    Berkshire.       Mr.    Warde    must 
have  commenced  at  a  very  early  age,  as  prior  to  1776 
he  hunted   the    country   around   Westerham,  in    Kent, 
when    he    went   to    Yattenden,  in   Berkshire,  but   only 
remained  there  two  seasons.       During  the  succeeding 
eighteen  seasons  he  occupied  that  part   of  the    country 
in  Oxfordshire  which  is  situated  near  BicestL^r,  aiid,  as 
I  am  given  to  understand,  he  also    at  the  same   period 
hunted  Warwickshire  for  a  part  of  the  season ;  but  that 
could  only  have  been  prior  to  Mr.  Corbet's  time.     Mr. 
Warde  subsequently  hunted  the  Pytchley  country,  and 
made    an    addition   to   his  kennel    by    procuring   some 
hounds  from  his  predecessor,  the  Earl  Spencer.   In  1808 
Lord  Althorpe  purchased  the  hounds  at  the  previously 
unheard-of  price  of  1,000  guineas,  and  took  the  country 
in  which  they  had  been  hunting.       On  this  transaction 
Mr.  Warde  made  a  reservation  of  a  few  of  his  bitches, 
wherewith  he  was  enabled    to    continue  his  own  blood, 
and  making  purchases  from  other  establishments  soon 
raised  another  pack,  with  which  he  commenced  opera- 
tions in  the  New  Forest,  where  he  continued  about  six 
years,  and  then  hunted  the  Craven  country,'  until  the 
end  of  the  season,  1826.  Mr.  Horlock  at  that  time  came 
forward  with  2,000  guineas,  in  exchange  for  which  he 
obtained  the  hounds,  and  Mr.  Warde  retired  from  the 

D 


50  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

field.  Having  seen  these  hounds  after  they  came  mto 
the  possession  of  Mr.  Horlock  I  can  form  a  tolerably 
accurate  idea  of  their  appearance  :  they  were  on  a  very 
large  scale,  though  I  have  reason  to  believe  Mr.  Horlock 
had  improved  them  considerably  in  that  respect;  that 
is  to  say  he  had  reduced  the  standard,  and  bred  them 
finer.  The  blood  is  dispersed  throughout  several 
kennels  of  the  present  day,  and  it  may  be  pretty 
generally  distinguished. 


CHAPTER  V 


INSTINCT    AND    FOXES 


Instinct  is  a  ruling  faculty  possessed  by  animals  of 
every  description  :  it  exists,  in  a  modified  degree,  even 
in  the  lowest.  The  powers  of  reasoning  with  which  the 
human  race  is  gifted  derive  their  origin  from  instinct, 
cultivated  by  the  aid  of  speech  and  literature.  By 
comparing  and  communicating  the  consequences  of  past 
events  we  are  enabled  to  form  certain  conclusions  of 
what  may  be  likely  to  result  from  similar  occurrences. 
This  faculty,  nevertheless,  is  limited ;  for  we  cannot 
either  foresee  or  control  the  events  of  an  hour.  Hunger 
prompts  a  man  to  eat,  and  a  similar  impulse  induces 
animals  to  do  so  likewise.  The  civilised  classes  of  the 
human  race  make  provision  for  future  wants ;  but  very 
few  animals  follow  that  example  :  most  of  them 
depend  on  the  bounteous  hand  of  Providence  for  their 
supplies.  The  squirrel  is  said  to  lay  up  a  store  for  the 
winter  season,  in  order  that  he  may  crack  his  nuts  at 
leisure;  and  it  is  instinct  that  teaches  him  to  do  so. 
The  fox,  in  some  measure,  partakes  of  this  forethought 
b}"  concealing  a  part  of  his  food  when  he  accidentally 
procures  more  than  he  requires  for  present  purposes. 
But  it  is  for  his  own  security  and  the  preservation  of 
life  that  instinct  is  most  conspicuous  in  this  animal, 
and  with  which,  on  many  occasions,  recollection  of 
past  events  is  associated.  This  knowledge  may  then 
be  termed  the  result  of  experience,  and  it  is  that  which 
enables  some  crafty  old  specimens  of  the  vulpine  family 
so  frequently  to  elude  the  huntsman's  skill.      All  living 


52  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

creatures  seek  protection  from  the  vicissitudes  of  the 
elements  according  to  their  habits  and  constitutions. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  forcible  impulses  of  nature  which 
prompts  them  to  do  so,  and  it  is  one  with  which  the 
lowest  classes  of  animals  are  endowed  :  it  is  innate,  or 
hereditary.  Varieties  of  circmnstances  lead  to  numer- 
ous difficulties,  necessities,  desires,  pleasures,  pains,  and 
conclusions  by  which  instinct  is  cultivated,  till  it 
almost  appears  to  assume  the  refinement  of  reason,  and 
analogy  enables  us  to  trace  so  many  degrees  of  this 
faculty  in  the  brute  creation  that  we  are  almost  led  to 
the  belief  that  they  are  gifted  with  the  latter  power. 
Somerville  thus  beautifully  expresses  himself:  — 

"  Nor  will  it  less  delight  th'  attentive  sage 

T'  observe  that  instinct,  which  unerring  guides 
The  brutal  race,  which  mimicks  reason's  lore. 
And  oft  transcends." 

Among  our  domesticated  animals  none  possesses  so 
near  an  approach  to  the  power  of  reasoning  as  the  dog. 
Many  extraordinary  examples  might  be  introduced,  and 
I  have  in  my  own  possession  two  which  serve  to  illus- 
trate this  remark.  They  are  both  terriers ;  one  a  rough, 
hardy,  Scotch-bred  animal  that  will  attack  any  living 
creature  he  may  be  set  upon ;  the  other  is  of  the  Isle  of 
Skye  kind  (a  lady),  she  would  not  kill  a  mouse.  The 
former  is  constantly  tied  up  in  the  yard ;  the  latter  has 
the  privilege  of  the  house,  and  eveiy  room  in  it. 
Whenever  she  sees  me  preparing  for  a  walk  she 
instantly  runs  off  to  the  dog,  and,  by  her  joyous  move- 
ments and  a  peculiar  whimper,  prepares  him  for  the 
pleasure  of  being  my  companion,  and  in  the  absence  of 
the  faculty  of  speech  it  is  quite  obvious  she  has  a 
method  of  conveying  her  ideas  to  her  fellow-creature. 
Being  thickly  surrounded  by  game,  the  hares,  rabbits, 
and  pheasants  will  occasionally  visit  my  garden,  which 
is  open  to  the  yard  in  which  the  dog  is  secured,  and  I 
can  decide  for  a  certainty  when  game  is  trespassing  by 
the  peculiar  manner  he  has  of  throwing  his  tongue.  It 
is  quite  a  different  note  from  that  which  he  utters  when 


INSTINCT  53 

strangers  or  intruders  of  any  kind  are  on  or  near  the 
premises,  concerning  whom  he  is  impressed  with  the 
propriety  of  giving  me  warning.  Such  faculties  almost 
induce  us  to  believe  that  the  canine  race  is  gifted  with 
the  powers  of  reason. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  instinct,  one  which  leads  to 
a  supposition  of  what  will  most  probably  happen ;  the 
other  from  a  knowledge  of  what  has  followed  certain 
events  and  vnW  occur  again  in  case  those  events  are 
repeated.  The  first  is  enlightened  instinct,  the 
peculiar  faculty  of  man — the  other  blind  instinct  pos- 
sessed by  animals.  The  latter  includes  hunger  and 
thirst,  the  necessity  for  shelter  against  the  vicissitudes 
and  inclemency  of  the  weather,  the  desire  to  repeat 
causes  which  have  produced  agreeable  sensations,  the 
fear  of  pain  or  death,  with  others  calculated  to  continue 
the  propagation  and  preservation  of  their  respective 
kinds. 

Foxes,  after  they  have  been  pursued  by  hounds,  may 
be  said  to  gain  a  kind  of  mechanical  instinct,  or  restless- 
ness ;  they  have  experienced  terror,  and  fatigue  may 
have  caused  them  pain ;  therefore  they  hold  in  remem- 
brance a  variety  of  sensations ;  a  sense  of  danger  is 
established  to  which  "  terror  adds  wings."  After 
having  once  undergone  the  ordeal  of  being  hunted,  they 
are  more  on  the  alert  to  avoid  a  repetition  of  the 
ceremony;  and  whatever  the  stratagem  may  be  by 
which  a  fox  first  makes  his  escape,  he  will  generally 
adopt  the  same  ruse  on  future  occasions.  This  is  con- 
vincing proof  that  they  possess  the  faculty  of  memory. 
Habit  inculcates  a  chain  of  conceptions,  differing 
materially  from  each  other  according  to  the  circum- 
stances from  which  they  derive  their  origm.  This 
affords  a  reason  why  foxes  differ  so  very  essentially  in 
the  methods  they  adopt  to  effect  their  escape  when 
chased  by  hounds. 

The  wild  mountain  fox,  the  woodland  fox,  and  the 
fox  bred  in  small  game  preserves,  spinnies,  and  gorse 
coverts,  differ  from  each  other  in  their  modes  of  living. 


54  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

WTien  hunted,  their  style  of  running  is  directed  by  their 
habits.  The  first  of  these  is  the  most  hardy ;  like  the 
necessitous  labourer  he  has  to  work  for  his  living. 
Accustomed  to  being  in  rocky  cavities,  adorned  in  some 
instances  by  the  unassuming  privacy,  oftentimes  by  the 
grandly  picturesque  beauties  of  nature,  his  birthplace 
and  retreat  are  generally  secure  from  all  human  intrus- 
ion. In  the  most  fashionable  parts  of  the  midland 
counties  such  places  do  not  prevail ;  but  there  are  a 
few  such  spots  in  Derbyshire.  The  Wrekin,  the 
Titterstone  and  Brown  Clee  Hills,  in  Shropshire,  are 
noted  places  of  this  kind,  and  the  foxes  which  frequent 
them  are  proverbially  stout ;  on  the  sea-coast  they  are 
more  numerous,  and  some  of  these  refuges  may  be  found 
in  Yorkshire.  There  are  many  in  different  parts  of 
Wales,  especially  in  Breconshire,  and  in  the  Gogerddan 
Hunt.  There  is  a  kind  of  cavern  called  the  Harp  in 
Borth  Rocks,  in  the  last-named  country,  truly  awful  to 
contemplate,  where  many  a  fox  has  saved  his  life  and 
many  a  gallant  hound  has  rushed  headlong  to  destruc- 
tion by  endeavouring  to  pursue  his  game  along  the 
narrow  winding  path  which  leads  from  the  top  of  the 
precipice  to  the  chasm  midway  between  the  summit 
and  the  sea-shore.  There  are  several  coverts  within  a 
few  miles,  and  foxes  found  in  them  frequently  make 
for  the  stronghold,  and,  should  the  hounds  follow, 
accidents  to  some  of  them  are  almost  inevitable,  unless 
the  huntsman  and  whips  are  aware  of  the  line  they 
have  taken  in  time  to  stop  them.  The  mountain  foxes 
are  certainly  the  most  difficult  to  kill ;  accustomed  to 
travel  considerable  distances  for  food,  they  are  ac- 
quainted with  an  expansive  country,  and,  not  being 
overburdened  with  superfluous  flesh,  are  generally  in 
good  wind. 

I  think  there  is  little  doubt  that  the  first  time  a  fox  is 
found  he  generally  treads  the  mazes  he  has  been 
accustomed  to  when  in  search  of  his  food,  unless  foiled 
by  some  peculiar  circumstances.  Having  led  the  hounds 
as  far  as  his  knowledge  of  country  extends,  he  will  ver\' 


HABITS   OF    FOXES  55 

probably  return,  or  endeavour  to  return,  to  the  place 
where  he  was  found,  especially  if  there  be  any  earths 
in  that  locality.  If  foiled  in  that  attempt  and  driven 
into  a  country  with  which  he  is  unacquainted,  the 
difference  in  his  style  of  running  may  be  detected ; 
holding  coverts,  main  earths,  dingles,  and  such  like 
places  are  no  longer  objects  which  he  endeavours  to 
gain.  Not  being  aware  of  their  locality  he  will  now 
pass  by  a  head  of  earths,  or  skirt  a  covert. 

Whether  a  fox  will  instantly  quit  a  large  wood  on 
being  disturbed  by  hounds  will  depend  on  circum- 
stances. If  it  happens  that  he  gets  on  his  legs  consider- 
ably in  advance  of  the  pack,  and  the  scent  is  not  good 
enough  to  press  him,  in  all  probability  he  will  continue 
to  run  those  paths  with  which  he  is  intimately 
acquainted,  among  thorny  brakes  and  briars,  through 
which  the  hounds  find  a  difficulty  in  following  him.  If 
he  escapes  the  first  attempt  made  on  his  life,  by  what- 
ever means  he  effects  his  safety,  I  believe  he  will,  on 
ever\'  future  occasion,  if  possible,  resort  to  the  same 
manoeuvre ;  and  as  this  is  a  conclusion  which  I  have 
arrived  at  from  observation,  I  shall,  in  due  order,  relate 
some  events  in  support  of  this  opinion. 

Foxes  which  are  bred  in  extensive  woodlands  where 
game  is  not  profuse,  although  not  so  wild  in  their 
nature  as  the  mountain  breeds,  are  much  more  so  than 
those  which  are  bred  in  small  coverts,  gorse  preserves, 
and  spinnies  abounding  with  rabbits  appropriated  to 
their  support.  Where  game  is  assiduously  cultivated 
it  becomes  necessary  to  supply  the  foxes  with  food 
during  the  breeding  season,  and  it  is  the  trouble  of 
doing  that  which  occasions  some  of  the  animosity  which 
many  keepers  entertain  against  the  speciesi.  As  to  foxes 
taking  game  to  any  extent  if  well  fed  at  the  time  I  have 
named,  it  is  a  perfect  fallacy.  But  I  will  not  go  so  far 
as  to  assert  that  such  semi-domesticated  foxes  will 
afford  the  runs  those  do  which  are  compelled  to  seek 
their  own  living  in  a  wilder  manner.  Hunted  by  hounds 
themselves,  foxes   retaliate   upon   the   inferior  animals, 


56  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

and  in  their  turn  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  the  chase  in  the 
pursuit  of  rats,  mice,  moles,  frogs,  beetles,  and  such 
like  vermin.  Perchance  they  may  now  and  then  hunt 
a  hare  up  to  her  form,  but  the  rabbit  is  much  easier 
prey  :  the  fox  can  follow  this  game  to  ground  m  many 
instances,  but  it  is  not  so  easy  to  pounce  upon  a  hare 
when  sitting.  I  have  heard  it  related  that  foxes  will 
actually  run  hares  down,  following  by  scent  like 
hounds ;  but  I  think  they  must  be  very  much  distressed 
by  hunger  before  they  resort  to  such  alternatives.  At 
the  same  time  all  such  exercises  axe  calculated  to 
increase  their  bodily  powers  and  their  knowledge  of 
country. 

Generally  speaking,  I  do  not  fancy  the  foxes  are  so 
wild  as  they  were  when  I  first  became  an  obser\'er  of 
their  habits.  So  far  they  may  be  said  to  have  degener- 
ated, and  that  may  be  from  the  treatment  they  receive. 
I  can  well  recollect  on  approaching  the  large  woods  in 
Shropshire,  before  a  hound  was  put  into  covert  a  fox 
would  frequently  break  away  from  the  opposite  side, 
and  unless  some  quick-eyed  whip  or  other  person  of 
experience  was  there  to  give  notice,  the  run  would  be 
lost.  Many  persons  entertain  an  opinion  that  they  are 
not  so  stout,  and,  perhaps,  that  may  be  the  case  like- 
wise, but  they  are  by  far  more  numerous,  and,  there- 
fore, what  may  be  lost  on  one  hand  is  more  than  com- 
pensated for  on  the  other.  This  decrease  of  stoutness 
may  be  accounted  for :  changes  in  circumstances  have 
led  to  changes  in  the  habits  of  these  animals ;  their 
wants  are  more  carefully  provided  for  in  the  way  of 
food,  and,  therefore,  not  having  to  travel  far  in  search 
of  it,  they  are  not  in  such  high  condition.  There  is 
another  cause  why  they  should  be  less  shy,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  increase  of  population;  in  many  cases 
their  haunts  are  more  frequently  intruded  upon  by 
man,  and,  seldom  experiencing  any  molestation  or 
injury,  except  when  chased  by  hounds,  they  gain  con- 
fidence. If  we  are  to  compare  the  long  runs  which  we 
have   heard   and   occasionally   read   of   in   the   days   of 


BUFFON   ON    FOXES  57 

Meynell,  Corbet,  Forester,  and  Warde  with  those  of  the 
present  period,  we  should  most  assuredly  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  foxes  are  by  no  means  as  stout ; 
but  then  it  must  be  remembered  the  speed  and 
condition  of  hounds  have  greatly  improved.  The 
greater  proportion  of  foxes  which  we  now  have  are 
those  which  are  bred  in  moderate-sized  and  small 
coverts,  and,  as  I  have  before  observed,  they  are  not 
either  so  wild  or  stout  as  those  which  are  bred  in 
mountainous  districts  and  large  tracts  of  woodland. 
When  found  in  such  places  as  the  former,  unless  the 
underwood  is  very  strong  they  are  generally  obliged  to 
quit.  With  a  fair  start  and  a  holding  scent,  the  chances 
would  be  in  favour  of  the  hounds  killing  their  fox ;  but 
it  frequently  happens  that  a  numerous  jealous  conclave 
of  hard  riders  exert  their  utmost  energies  in  the  pre- 
servation of  the  vulpine  tribe.  Collectively  they  will 
ride  so  close  to  the  pack  as  to  prevent  the  hounds 
hunting  from  want  of  room,  and  will  not  unfrequently 
absolutely  ride  between  the  hounds  and  the  object  of 
their  chase,  as  if  desirous  of  destroying  the  scent  by 
every  available  means.  Although  collectively  they  do 
this,  every  man  individually  censures  such  proceedings. 

The  knowledge  of  country  which  these  foxes  acquire 
arises  principally  from  their  being  hunted.  Their 
preservation  has,  undoubtedly,  become  the  general 
rule,  and  their  destruction  by  unfair  means  is  happily 
the  exception.  It  is  proved  that  they  do  not  commit 
those  depredations  among  game  which  at  one  time  they 
were  supposed  to  do.  Perad venture,  like  the  human 
race,  they  are  more  civilised ;  for  they  do  not  levy  the 
contributions  on  the  lambs  of  which  they  were  accused 
in  former  days,  most  frequently  very  unjustly. 

Buffon  gives  us  some  curious  remarks  on  the  habits  of 
the  fox,  the  correctness  of  which  I  will  not  presume  to 
dispute ;  but  the  animal  has  mended  his  manners  con- 
siderably since  the  time  when  the  great  naturahst  made 
his  observations.  Moreover,  they  were  French  foxes 
concerning  which  he   made   his  remarks :  our    English 


58  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

ones  are  not  such  desperate  marauders.  He  tells  us  of 
the  fox  that,  "  He  forms  his  earth  at  the  side  of  a  wood 
or  near  a  hamlet ;  he  listens  to  the  crowing  of  the 
cocks  and  the  cackling  of  the  poultry ;  he  scents  them 
from  afar — he  chooses  skilfully  his  time  and  his  oppor- 
tunity—carefully conceals  his  movements  and  his  in- 
tentions— creeps  stealthily  along,  at  times  even 
dragging  his  belly  along  the  ground — springs  suddenly 
on  his  prey,  and  rarely  fails  of  capturing  it.  If  he  can 
manage  to  leap  the  enclosure,  or  burrow  underneath, 
he  loses  not  an  instant — he  ravages  the  poultry-yard, 
puts  all  indiscriminately  to  death,  and  then  craftily  re- 
tires, carrying  with  him  part  of  what  he  has  slain, 
which  he  takes  away  and  conceals  among  the 
grass,  or  carries  to  his  home.  Shortly  afterwards  he 
returns  in  search  of  more,  which  he  removes  and  hides 
in  like  manner;  he  returns  a  third,  and  even  a  fourth 
time,  imtil  either  the  appearance  of  daylight  or  some 
stir  about  the  house,  warns  him  to  retire  and  return  no 
more."  Where  is  the  farmer's  wife  who  could  read 
this  without  horror,  anticipating  the  fate  of  her  poultry  ? 
That  the  fox  is  not  the  guilty  culprit  whose  constant 
practice  it  is  to  commit  these  depredations  we  are 
certain ;  for  if  he  were  the  henroost  would  soon  become 
untenanted.  Within  a  radius  not  exceeding  one  mile 
of  the  spot  where  I  am  now  writing,  fifteen  brace  of 
cubs  were  littered  this  season,  and,  within  five  miles, 
thirty-five  brace,  to  my  certain  knowledge.  Many 
more  there  may  be  which  I  do  not  know  of ;  where  they 
are  so  numerous,  if  they  were  in  the  habit  of  committing 
the  depredations  named  by  Buff  on,  there  would  not  be 
a  head  of  poultry  in  the  country.  But  there  is  scarcely 
a  farm-house  in  the  neighbourhood  where  they  do  not 
keep  from  twenty  to  thirty  hens,  and  in  many  instances 
double  that  number.  The  game  in  the  district  to  which 
I  allude  is  also  very  abundant.  Buff  on  was  not  content 
with  watching  poor  Reynard  to  the  henroost  and  ac- 
cusing him  of  devastations,  but  adds,  "  He  plays  the 
same  game  with  the  nets  of  the  bird-catchers,  and  the 


BUFFON    ON    FOXES  59 

snares  in  which  they  take  thrushes  and  woodcocks.  He 
is  stirring  with  the  earliest  dawn,  and  often  visits  the 
traps  several  times  during  the  day. 

"  He  examines  the  snares  and  the  lime  twigs,  and 
regularly  makes  off  with  the  birds  that  have  been  taken 
in  them ;  these  he  conceals  in  different  situations,  at  the 
road  side,  in  a  furrow  or  rut,  among  the  grass,  or  at  the 
root  of  a  tree. 

"  He  often  leaves  them  there  for  days,  but  still 
knows  well  where  to  find  them  when  wanted.  He 
chases  the  leverets  on  the  common,  not  unfrequently 
takes  the  hare  upon  her  form,  and  seldom  fails  of  sur- 
prising such  as  may  have  been  wounded  :  he  digs  out 
the  rabbit  in  the  warren,  discovers  the  nest  of  the 
partridge  and  of  the  quail,  secures  the  mother  upon  her 
eggs,  and,  in  short,  destroys  a  vast  quantity  of  game.'* 

According  to  Buffon,  the  fox  levies  insatiate  contri- 
butions on  the  henroost  and  on  the  game  preserves ; 
and,  if  his  opinions  were  correct,  would  very  soon 
devastate  an  extensive  country ;  but  practical  experi- 
ence proves  that  such  is  not  the  case.  The  havoc 
described  as  being  committed  among  the  nets  and 
snares  of  bird-catchers  must  be  imaginary ;  because, 
having  laid  his  devices,  where  is  the  bird-catcher  who  is 
not,  as  the  fox  is  represented  to  be,  "  stirring  with  the 
earliest  dawn,"  and  watching  his  snares?  The  fox  may 
occasionally  indulge  his  appetite  with  a  leveret  or  a  hare 
that  may  have  been  wounded ;  but  the  most  scrupulous 
game  preserver  would  scarcely  begrudge  him  the  latter 
delicacy,  knowing  that  the  hare  would  otherwise  perish 
and  rot.  He  may  perhaps  surprise  a  hen  pheasant  on 
her  nest  if  not  amply  provided  with  food,  such  as  rabbits 
and  rooks,  with  which  it  is  the  duty  of  every  keeper  to 
supply  him  during  the  breeding  season  of  the  birds ^ 
which  is  the  period  when  the  vixens  have  to  procure 
food  for  their  cubs,  and  by  the  time  the  latter  have 
attained  any  size  the  pheasants  have  taken  to  the  trees 
as  a  roosting  place  where  they  are  tolerably  secure. 

I  have   alreadv    observed  that    I   am  led  to  believe 


60  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

whatever  manoeuvre  a  fox  resorts  to  the  first  time  of 
his  bemg  hunted,  if  it  proves  successful  to  his  escape  he 
will,  if  possible,  adopt  on  future  occasions.  I  will  now 
introduce  a  few  circumstances  in  corroboration  thereof. 

Several  years  since  I  was  hunting  with  the  Albrighton 
hounds  in  those  very  severe  woodlands,  the  Ran  Dans, 
on  the  borders  of  the  Worcestershire  country-  and 
neutral  with  the  two  hunts.  They  found  a  fox,  and 
ran  him  upwards  of  two  hours.  These  hounds  had  on 
previous  occasions  found  a  fox  which  always  beat  them. 
The  Worcestershire  hounds  had  experienced  the  same 
disappointment.  The  fox  invariably  persevered  in 
working  round  the  wood,  and  when  the  hounds  arrived 
at  a  particular  spot  they  always  came  to  a  check  of 
considerable  duration.  At  length  it  was  determined  to 
watch  that  point,  which  was  at  a  division  in  the  covert 
where  a  very  strongly  plashed  hedge  extended  a  dis- 
tance of  two  or  three  hundred  yards  and  connected  the 
two  portions  of  the  woods.  It  was  there  discovered 
that  the  fox  had  gained  so  much  advantage  by  running 
along  the  top  of  this  fence,  and  no  doubt  laid  himself 
up  there  till  the  hounds  had  passed  him,  when  he 
retraced  his  steps  and  regained  the  thick  under-wood 
behind  the  disappointed  pack.  This  stratagem  being 
detected,  the  hounds  were  laid  on  in  view,  which 
caused  him  to  break  covert;  and  in  a  short  time  they 
ran  into  him. 

On  the  8th  of  Februarj^  1851  I  met  the  Vine  hounds 
at  West  Heath.  They  found  a  fox  at  Tadley  Place,  and 
after  a  short  ring  ran  him  to  Eyeford,  where  he  ran  the 
plantations  and  covert  for  some  time.  On  the  boundary 
of  the  covert  there  is  a  large  pool  of  water  with  tumps 
of  earth  or  little  islands,  separated  from  the  banks  by 
deep  water  ;  there  are  also  many  sedges,  rushes  and 
tufts  of  rank  grass,  similar  to  those  which  generally 
grow  in  such  situations.  The  hounds  brought  a  ven," 
cold  scent  up  to  the  margin  of  this  pool,  and,  as  I  wa,s 
close  to  them  at  the  time,  I  observed  one  hound  throw 
his  tongue  in  angry  mood,  as  if  he  had  seized  his  fox. 


ANECDOTES   OF   FOXES  61 

which  I  expected  was  the  case ;  but  at  that  moment  the 
horn  was  heard  back  in  covert,  and  the  under-whip 
being  at  hand  immediately  turned  the  hounds  to  the 
huntsman,  who,  not  being  then  aware  of  this  circum- 
stance, made  his  cast.  From  what  I  saw,  and  the 
result,  I  was  quite  convinced  the  fox  had  crossed 
through  the  water  and  laid  himself  up  on  one  of  the 
rough  tumps  of  earth  and  sedges ;  but  the  scent  being 
bad, '  the  hounds  scarcely  owned  it  up  to  the  water, 
although  the  single  hound  that  spoke  to  it  knew  the  fox 
was  very  near  to  him.  When  the  hounds  had  left  that 
point,  and  while  they  were  working  to  recover  the  scent 
in  the  covert,  the  fox  got  upon  his  legs  again  and  was 
fortunately  viewed,  and  finally  after  two  hours'  running 
was  killed  on  a  similar  spot  within  a  short  distance. 
This  fox  had  no  doubt  found  by  experience  that  in  such 
situations  he  was  not  pursued  with  the  same  ardour  he 
was  on  dry  land.  The  place  abounds  with  wild  ducks 
and  other  birds  of  aquatic  habits,  and  most  probably 
it  was  in  search  of  them  that  he  first  became  acquainted 
with  its  locality. 

Another  circumstance,  illustrative  of  this  argument, 
occurred  with  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's  hounds  on  the 
11th  of  April  1853.  They  met  at  Newark  Park  and 
commenced  operations  by  drawing  the  covert  close  to 
the  lodge  gates,  where  they  found  immediately.  Being 
on  the  outside  I  viewed  the  fox  away  and  observed 
that  he  ran  along  the  top  of  a  wall  more  than  twenty 
yards.  It  was  a  fine,  bright,  warm  day,  and  the  scent 
far  from  being  good.  They  ran  him  on  the  surrounding 
hills,  which  abound  with  coverts,  for  some  time,  and, 
after  taking  a  ring,  he  pointed  over  the  open  for  Tiley, 
and  I  had  an  opportunity  of  observing,  by  the  manner 
in  which  the  hounds  picked  up  the  scent  by  some  of  the 
walls,  that  the  fox  had  resorted  to  his  manoeuvre  of 
running  along  the  top  of  them  when  the  nature  of  the 
walls  permitted  him,  descending,  as  he  was  compelled 
to  do,  at  gate-ways  and  other  spaces,  where  the  line 
was  broken.    In  this  way  he  reached  Tiley,  when,  being 


62  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

somewhat  distressed,  the  hounds  killed  him  in  the  act 
of  descending  from  a  wall.  It  was  an  old  fox  of  a  very 
light  colour,  and  I  have  little  doubt  he  had  performed 
the  same  trick,  though  more  successfully,  on  other  oc- 
casions. 

I  have  heard  an  anecdote  of  a  fox,  one  without  a 
'  brush,'  that  was  many  times  found  by  the  late  Duke 
of  Beaufort's  hounds  when  they  hunted  the  Heythrop 
country.  His  haunt  was  generally  near  the  sajne  spot, 
and  when  hunted  he  always  took  the  same  line  of 
country,  and  by  some  stratagem  escaped ;  but  his 
device  was  never  discovered.  At  length,  however,  he 
was  killed,  probably  from  being  disappointed  in  ac- 
complishing his  trick. 

An  event  was  related  to  me  of  a  somewhat  curious 
kennel  which  a  brace  of  foxes  had  adopted  in  the 
Badminton  country.  On  the  3rd  of  January  1853  the 
Duke  of  Beaufort's  hounds  met  at  the  Lower  Woods 
and  found  a  fox  in  the  Withey  Moor,  which  they  lost 
at  Kilcot.  It  was  reported  that  a  fox  had  been 
frequently  seen  in  the  open  field  near  Little  Badminton, 
and  that  he  had  his  kennel  in  a  stubble  rick  placed 
against  a  wall,  to  which  spot  the  hounds  were  taken ; 
but  they  were  unable  to  dislodge  him,  or  in  fact  to 
decide  that  he  was  '  at  home,'  and  went  away  to  draw 
another  covert.  A  countryman  who  was  present  per- 
severed, and  having  pulled  down  a  portion  of  the  wall, 
with  the  assistance  of  a  dog  bolted  a  brace  of  foxes. 
The  hounds  being  brought  back  and  laid  on  the  scent 
of  one  of  them  ran  him  through  Swangrove  to  Sop- 
worth,  from  thence  to  Sherston  and  Foxley,  where  they 
killed  him.  It  may  be  remarked,  that  the  weather  had 
been  unusually  wet,  and  in  many  places  in  the  vales  the 
foxes  had  no  dry  lodgings  to  resort  to ;  therefore  their 
taking  to  the  hills  and  selecting  a  spot  where  they  could 
lie  secure  from  floods  was  by  no  means  an  unac- 
countable proceeding.  The  companion  fox,  which  was 
not  hunted  on  this  occasion,  continued  to  use  the  same 
place  of  seclusion.     On  the  20th  of  the  same  month  the 


ANECDOTES    OF    FOXES  63 

hounds  again  visited  the  stubble  rick ;  but  although  the 
fox  was  not  there  at  the  time,  there  was  evidence  of  his 
having  been  very  recently,  from  the  fresh  print  of  his 
pads  and  other  conclusive  proof  in  which  sportsmen 
could  not  be  mistaken. 

This  may  serve  as  an  explanation  why  it  frequently 
happens  that  hounds  draw  a  great  extent  of  country 
without  being  able  to  find,  when  weather  or  some 
particular  cause  induces  the  foxes  to  abandon  for  a 
time  their  usual  places  of  resort. 

I  remember  on  the  19th  of  November  1844  Earl  Fitz- 
hardinge's  hounds  met  at  Hazleton  Grove,  when  they 
drew  the  Brake,  always  considered  a  sure  find,  blank ; 
but  they  found  in  the  Grove,  and  went  away  at  a 
great  pace,  leaving  Puzedown  on  the  left,  to  a  spinny, 
where  they  doubled  up  their  fox  in  double  quick  time. 
In  consequence  of  the  coldness  of  the  season  and  late- 
ness of  the  harvest  there  was  a  field  of  barley  standing, 
in  w^hich  it  was  stated  a  fox  had  frequently  been  seen — 
no  doubt  one  which  belonged  to  the  brake  previously 
mentioned  as  having  been  drawn  blank.  On  the 
approach  of  the  hounds  he  was  instantly  on  foot ;  was 
viewed  crossing  the  wall,  and  went  away  over  Puze- 
down, when  he  turned  to  the  left  and  across  the 
Cheltenham  road,  as  if  making  a  point  for  Compton  or 
Star  Wood ;  but  he  again  bore  to  the  left  and  recrossed 
the  road  by  Puzedown  Inn.  Up  to  this  point  the  pace 
was  first  rate ;  but  as  the  hounds  were  now  running 
down  wind  the  scent  diminished,  and  they  came  to  a 
check.  Nevertheless  they  hunted  him  to  the  New 
Gorse,  where  an  unfortunate  halloo  to  a  fresh  fox 
destroyed  the  chance  there  was,  with  but  an  indifferent 
scent,  of  killing  him. 

Another  occurrence  of  a  similar  nature  took  place  on 
the  23rd  of  November  1848  with  the  H.  H.,  which  were 
then  hunted  by  Lord  Gifford.  They  met  at  Ellisfield 
and  found  their  first  fox  in  Hal  Wood,  which  they  lost 
near  Herriard.  His  lordship  was  informed  that  a  fox 
had  been  seen  constantly  in  a  field  of  turnips  on  Hatch 


64  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

Warren  Farm,  and  was  induced  to  go  in  search  of  him ; 
the    hounds    had    spread    all    over    the    field    without 
touching   upon    him.      Not    being   accustomed  to    find 
foxes    in   such   situations,  very  probably    they  did  not 
draw  well.       As  the  land  seemed  alive  with  partridges, 
it  did   not   appear   likely  that  the  fox   was  there ;   and 
Lord  Gifford  was  in  the  act  of  taking  his  horn  out  of 
the  case  to  call  the  hounds  away,  when  the  fox  jumped 
up  within  fifty  yards  of  the  spot ;  a  singular  instance  of 
concord  between  the  fox  and  the  feathered  tribe.      The 
hounds  were  soon  at  him,  and  ran  him  merrily  over  the 
road,  by    Kempshot    to     South  wood,     through    Bull's 
Bushes  to    Ash  Park,    Steventon   to   North   Waltham, 
back  to  Bull's  Bushes,  and  from  thence  to  Itching  Row, 
near  Oakley  Park,  where,  after  a  chase  of  two  hours, 
they  ran  into  and  killed  a  fox,  but  certainly  not  the  one 
they  found  in  the  turnip  field,  for  which  I  can  assign 
two  reasons  :  the  one  they  killed  had  a  pad  damaged, 
and  was  therefore  lame,  which  the  one  originally  found 
was  not ;  and  a  fox  was  on  several  subsequent  occasions 
seen  in  the  turnip  field.       Where  they  changed  I  will 
not   take   upon  myself  to  determine,  unless   it    wasi  in 
Bull's  Bushes,  the  second  time  they  got  to  that  covert, 
which   is   most   probable,    as   there   certainly  were  two 
foxes  there  when  the  hounds  ran  into  it  the  first  time. 
Foxes  have  been  frequently  known  when  chased  by 
hounds  to  seek  refuge  among  ivy  growing  about  stumps 
of  trees,    in    farm-buildings,  and    other   unaccountable 
places.     They  are  no   doubt    haunts   which   they   have 
been    accustomed   to    frequent  in   the  first   instance   in 
search  of  food ;  for  it  is  not  probable  in  the  heat  of 
pursuit  that  they  should  be  able  to  select  such  sanctu- 
aries on    the  impulse    of   the   moment.       I   have   often 
known  hounds  run  their  fox  to  a  certain  point  with  a 
good  scent  and  lose  him  instantaneously,  as  if  he  had 
vanished  into  ethereal  space.     On  those  occasions  it  is 
evident    they    must   have    gained   some   unaccountable 
place  of  safety  to  which  the  hounds  had  not  the  power 
of  scenting  them.       I  remember  hearing  of  an  event 


A   FOX    IN   A   NEST  65 

which  occurred  with  the  justly  celebrated  Mr.  Meynell's 
hounds,  which  shows  the  great  patience,  perseverance, 
talent,  and  keen-sightedness  for  which  he  was  so 
eminently  distinguished,  and  also  what  extraordinary 
places  foxes  will  sometimes  seek  for  refuge.  They  were 
drawing  a  gorse  covert  when  a  single  hound,  that  could 
be  relied  upon,  spoke.  "  That  will  do,"  exclaimed 
Mr.  Meynell ;  but  the  hounds  could  make  nothing  of  it. 
They  were  drawn  round  again  to  the  place  where  the 
single  hound  had  spoken;  but  they  could  not  "roust 
him  out."  Still  persevering,  I  believe  upwards  of  two 
hours,  the  field  became  impatient  and  the  greater  portion 
went  home.  At  length,  holding  a  consultation  with 
Raven,  his  huntsman,  he  enquired  the  exact  spot  where 
the  hound  spoke,  which  was  close  to  a  bush  that  he 
pointed  to.  "  Then  get  off  and  examine  it,"  said  Mr. 
Meynell.  It  was  a  low  bush  or  stump  of  a  tree  which 
leaned  over  the  gorse  and  in  which  was  an  old  magpie's 
nest,  where  the  fox  had  rolled  himself  up  and  was  peep- 
ing over  the  side  of  the  nest  at  the  proceedings  below. 
Raven  whipped  him  out,  laid  on  the  hounds,  and,  with 
a  good  scent,  had  a  capital  run,  and  killed  the  intruder 
on  the  magpie's  forsaken  property  near  the  kennel. 

It  does  not  very  frequently  occur  that  opportunities 
offer  of  watching  the  movements  of  foxes  when  they 
are  chased  by  hounds ;  but  a  circumstance  of  this  kind 
happened  to  me  on  the  22nd  of  January  1839.  I  was 
staying  at  Cheltenham  at  the  time,  and  not  having  a 
horse  to  ride  on  that  day  walked  out  to  call  on  a  friend 
near  to  where  Lord  Fitzhardinge's  hounds  met,  which 
was  at  Norton  Village.  While  sitting  in  my  friend's 
dining-room  I  saw  a  fox  crossing  a  meadow  in  front  of 
the  house.  We  immediately  went  out,  and  heard  the 
hounds  at  a  considerable  distance,  but  evidently  not 
running  towards  us.  Our  attention  was  turned  to  the 
wily  animal,  and  we  scrupulously  observed  his  motions, 
in  which  he  favoured  us  by  running  in  the  direction  of 
where  we  stood.  He  stopped  occasionally,  as  if  to 
listen,  and  then  trotted  on  again,  quietly  reconnoitring 

E 


66  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

the  country,  and  selecting  the  most  convenient  places 
in  the  fences  to  pass  through.  He  actually  appeared 
as  if  he  were  thinking  what  course  to  pursue.  At  this 
crisis,  however,  he  was  safe  from  the  pursuit  of  the 
hounds.  At  the  time  I  mention,  the  railway  was  in 
progress  of  formation  between  Cheltenham  and 
Gloucester,  passing  within  a  field  or  two  of  the  spot, 
and  from  which  direction  the  fox  came.  My  friend  and 
I  therefore  proceeded  to  the  embankment,  expecting  to 
hear  or  see  something  of  the  hounds,  and  there  found 
upwards  of  one  hundred  men  at  woi:k,  by  some  of 
whom  we  were  informed  that  the  fox  had  passed 
among  them  and  close  to  a  bull  terrier,  which  the 
owner  had  luckily  secured.  On  making  inquiry  after- 
wards, I  discovered  the  reason  the  hounds  were  not 
then  in  pursuit  of  this  fox.  They  had  found  him  in  Nor- 
ton Wood,  and  with  a  good  scent  ran  him  at  a  racing 
pace  to  Down  Hatherley  and  through  the  covert,  where 
a  fresh  fox  was  disturbed,  when,  after  running  a  mile 
clear  of  the  wood,  they  got  on  the  heel  of  the  latter, 
and  ran  it  several  fields-  up  wind  before  it  was  possible 
to  stop  them.  Thus  the  hunted  fox,  after  having  had  a 
good  breathing,  escaped  ;  and  his  movements,  as 
already  mentioned,  were  regulated  by  his  doubt  for  his 
safety.  From  this  it  appears  that  when  not  pressed  by 
hounds  foxes  will  merely  jog  on  at  a  moderate  pace  and 
will  only  increase  it  in  order  to  keep  at  a  convenient 
distance  from  their  canine  adversaries;  and  I  have  very 
little  doubt  but  that  is  their  general  custom.  Nimrod 
was  of  the  same  opinion.  He  observes — "  It  is  the 
nature  of  all  game  to  fly  in  proportion  as  it  is  pressed 
in  flight.  The  fox  before  the  slow  hound  is,  I  should 
say,  nine  times  in  ten  not  a  yard  further  ahead  than  he 
would  be  before  the  quick  one,  having  reason  to  believe 
(and  I  here  speak  from  my  experience)  foxes  regulate 
their  speed  by  the  cry  of  hounds.*'  I  shall  recur  to 
this  subject  in  a  future  chapter  on  the  comparative 
speed  of  hounds  of  past  and  present  times. 

As  a  proof  to  what  state  the  domestication  of  the  fox 


A    TAME    FOX  67 

may  be  brought,  and  as  an  original  idea,  I  must  here 
introduce  an  anecdote  of  a  tame  fox  kept  in  Shropshire 
in  Mr.  Boycott's  time,  and  also  when  Mr.  Walter 
Gifford  had  the  management  of  the  Albrighton  country. 
Nearly  in  the  centre  of  the  hunt  at  Cranmere,  close  to 
the  house,  was  a  covert  well  known  as  Mr.  Vickers's 
Gorse — a  name  given  to  it  in  consequence  of  its  being 
on  the  estate  occupied  by  that  gentleman,  who  in  early 
life  was  an  excellent  sportsman  and  a  first-rate  per- 
former over  a  country ;  and  although  an  accident 
subsequently  prevented  him  participating  in  the 
pleasures  of  the  chase  he  was  not  the  less  desirous  to  pro- 
mote the  sport  of  others.  Mrs.  Vickers  and  her  niece. 
Miss  Miller,  were  most  determined  admirers  of  fox- 
hunting, and  generally  met  the  hounds  whenever  they 
were  within  reasonable  distance.  But  Mrs.  Vickers' 
devotion  to  fox-hunting  was  not  confined  merely  to 
participation  in  the  sport ;  for  it  extended  to  the  pro- 
motion of  it.  She  had  a  tame  vixen  fox  chained  up 
near  the  house,  and  an  artificial  earth  constructed  for 
the  accommodation  of  her  protegee.  On  the  approach  of 
the  *  merry  spring  time  '  the  vixen  fox  was  liberated 
and  allowed  to  roam  into  the  gorse — an  indulgence 
which  she  did  not  abuse  but  returned  to  her 
accustomed  earth  in  due  course  of  time,  where  she 
brought  forth  a  litter  of  cubs  several  successive  seasons. 
These  cubs,  being  allowed  to  stray  off  into  the  gorse, 
were  generally  found  when  the  hounds  paid  their 
respects.  I  will  not,  however,  go  so  far  as  to  assert 
that  they  were  of  much  value  as  affording  sport — they 
were  too  much  domesticated ;  but  the  fact  of  the  vixen 
returning  after  having  been  liberated  shows  the  attach- 
ment she  had  for  the  earth  to  which  she  was 
accustomed. 

My  highly  esteemed  friend  Captain  Bowen  Davies, 
late  of  Maesycrigau  in  Carmarthenshire  (who,  alas  !  has 
been  gathered  to  his  last  home),  often  related  to  me  an 
event  which  occurred  with  a  tame  fox  which  he  had. 
He  kept   fox-hounds  at  the  time;   and   in  the   summer 


68  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

months  a  few  of  the  old  favourites  were  permitted  to 
range  about  the  premises;  but  they  never  attempted  to 
molest  the  fox  that  was  chained  up.  One  summer, 
thinking  his  fox  would  be,  happier  if  allowed  his  liberty, 
he  released  him,  but  with  a  short  piece  of  chain 
attached  to  his  collar.  He,  however,  soon  made  serious 
havoc  among  some  fancy  poultry.  Incensed  at  such 
ingratitude,  my  friend  was  resolved  on  the  destruction 
of  the  depredator,  and,  knowing  his  haunts,  released 
the  hounds  from  the  kennel,  and  followed  them  on 
foot.  They  soon  found  the  culprit,  who  broke  covert 
in  due  form,  the  pack  after  him  in  full  cry.  They  had 
not  proceeded  far  before  the  harmonious  concert 
ceased,  and  their  huntsman  was  preparing  to  give  a 
who-hoop  when,  to  his  utter  astonishment,  he  observed 
the  hounds  returning  to  him  with  the  fox  in  the  midst 
of  them,  waving  his  brush,  unhurt,  and  all  appearing 
on  the  most  social  terms ;  upon  which  he  secured  the 
caitiff  and  had  him  again  chained  up,  where  he 
remained  for  several  years. 

A  singular  coincidence  has  been  communicated  to  me 
of  a  fox  which  was  disturbed  in  one  of  the  Earl 
Fitzhardinge's  coverts  during  the  shooting  season  of 
1852.  A  party  of  his  lordship's  guests  were  beating  a 
small  covert ;  and  the  game  having  been  driven  to  the 
extremity,  the  Hon.  Craven  Berkeley  heard  a  hare  cn^'^ 
out.  No  one  having  fired  at  that  moment,  and  there 
not  being  any  dog  near,  curiosity  was  excited,  and 
close  to  the  spot  a  fox  was  viewed,  which  had  evidently 
committed  the  outrage.  There  the  hare  lay  dead. 
What  could  have  instigated  him  to  commit  such  an  act 
must  remain  a  mystery.  Whether  he  thought  he  was 
bound,  in  honour  to  his  aristocratic  visitors  and 
patrons,  to  join  them  in  their  sport  and  contribute  his 
quota  to  their  list  of  '  killed  ' — whether  a  sudden 
impulse  of  anger,  fear,  or  hunger  prompted  him,  it  is 
impossible  to  conceive.  Although  he  was  surrounded 
by  his  best  friends  he  might  have  anticipated  danger 
and  therefore  snapped  at  the  hare  as  she  was  passing; 


BREAKING    UP    EARTHS  69 

but  whatever  motive  induced  him  to  do  it,  it  was 
certainly  a  most  extraordinary  proceeding. 

Seeing  how  much  the  nature  of  foxes  is  regulated  by 
their  mode  of  living,  it  becomes  a  matter  of  interest  to 
inquire  to  what  extent  those  habits  may  be  cultivated 
so  as  to  insure  sport.  To  effect  this  I  am  quite  of 
opinion  that  if  all  the  breeding  earths  were  to  be  broken 
up  foxes  would  be  wilder  and  stouter.  There  are,  I  am 
aware,  many  masters  of  hounds  who  are  opposed  to 
this  course  from  reasons  which  I  will  explain.  There 
is,  however,  a  medium  practice  which  might  be  resorted 
to,  probably  with  benefit ;  namely,  that  of  stopping  the 
main  earths  as  soon  as  hunting  commences,  and  of 
keeping  them  stopped  till  the  vixens  are  about  to  lay 
up  their  cubs.  I  believe  Mr.  T.  Smith  was  the  first  to 
propose  this  plan,  and  likewise  to  put  it  in  operation ; 
and  the  success  which  attended  him  as  a  master  of 
hounds  during  the  number  of  years  which  he  hunted 
the  Craven,  the  Hambledon,  and  other  countries,  is  a 
guarantee  for  the  soundness  of  his  doctrines.  The 
custom  has  been  adopted  also  in  the  Vine  Hunt  and 
other  parts  of  Hampshire. 

With  reference  to  the  plan  of  destroying  all  the  main 
earths,  I  must  observe  that  in  the  Oakley  country  the 
foxes  are  all  '  stub-bred  ones,'  which  I  know  from  the 
authority  of  two  gentlemen  who  hunted  that  country, 
both  of  whom  agree  that  they  are  uncommonly  stout 
and  '  take  a  great  deal  of  killing.'  If  foxes  breed  and 
thrive  above  ground  in  one  country  they  will  do  so  in 
another;  and  many  advantages  would  arise  from  the 
system.  In  the  first  place,  fox-stealers  would  not  be 
so  readily  enabled  to  get  at  the  cubs,  because  they 
would  experience  difficulty  in  finding  them  after  they 
have  attained  an  age  when  they  are  capable  of  feeding 
themselves;  and  it  would  be  useless  to  take  them 
before  that  time  when  the  object  is  to  transport  them 
into  another  country.  Fortunately  the  day  has  gone 
by  when  persons  would  desire  to  take  them  for  the 
purpose    of   absolute     destruction.        The    fox-stealing 


70  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

fraternity  would  never  accomplish  the  capture  of  a 
half-grown  or  an  old  stub-bred  fox.  It  is  only  when 
they  go  to  ground  that  the  devices  of  those  marauders 
can,  with  facility,  be  put  into  effect. 

An  event  occurred  a  few  years  since,  when  I  was 
residing  in  Hampshire,  the  details  of  which  are  worth 
mentioning,  because  they  go  very  far  to  show  the 
advantages  which  would  arise  from  the  adoption  of  my 
recommendation.  A  vixen  fox  had  laid  up  her  cubs  in 
an  earth  on  the  banks  of  a  chalk-pit,  and  one  day  in  the 
spring,  seeing  a  very  notorious  fox-stealer  lurking 
about,  I  immediately  communicated  with  the  keeper, 
who  caused  the  vixen  to  remove  her  cubs  by  burning 
some  tar  and  brimstone-matches  at  the  mouth  of  the 
earth;  she  took  them  to  a  neighbouring  covert  and 
brought  them  up  on  a  stub,  and  they  afforded  some 
good  runs  when  they  were  sufficiently  old  enough.  To 
have  dug  them  out  would  have  been  impossible  from 
the  nature  of  the  earth ;  but  the  vulpicide  in  question 
practised  a  far  more  cunning  and  systematic  device. 
He  had  a  small  female  terrier  which  he  had  taught  to 
go  into  the  earths  and  bring  out  the  cubs  one  at  a  time 
in  her  mouth,  and  she  would  perform  it  with  the 
utmost  tenderness ;  a  plan  by  far  more  dexterous  and 
destructive  than  that  of  digging,  from  two  causes.  In 
the  first  place,  if  a  fox-stealer  resorts  to  digging  it 
necessarily  occupies  some  time,  during  which  he  may 
be  detected ;  and  although  the  laws  are  not  very  severe 
on  such  occasions,  he  may  be  punished  for  trespass,  a 
penalty  which  he  will  not  willingly  incur.  In  the  next 
place,  he  cannot  do  it  without  disturbing  the  soil, 
which  leaves  indubitable  evidence  that  some  depredation 
has  been  committed.  But  with  the  terrier  trained  to 
the  performance  a  whole  country  may  be  robbed  and 
no  discovery  made  till  cub-hunting  commences.  The 
operation  is  performed  in  a  few  minutes. 

Regarding  the  fact  of  having  caused  the  vixen  to 
remove  her  cubs  as  equivalent  to  breaking  up  or 
stopping  the  earth,  I  will  now  proceed  to  illustrate  two 


A    SCURRY    WITH    THE    VINE  71 

striking  events  connected  with  the  noble  science  :  one 
bearing  on  the  practice  which  I  am  now  advocating ; 
the  other,  on  what  hounds  can  do  if  not  pressed  upon 
by  horsemen  or  interfered  with  by  a  huntsiman. 

On  the  15th  of  February  1851  the  Vine  homids  met 
at  Monk's  Sherborne  and  drew  Mr.  Holton's  coverts, 
the  resort  of  the  cubs  which  had  been  removed  from 
the  earth  in  question.  They  very  quickly  found,  and 
with  a  good  scent  went  away  with  Uttle  or  no  ciy.  It 
was  a  foggy  morning,  and  none  of  the  field  was  aware 
for  some  little  time  that  they  had  found,  much  less  that 
they  had  gone  away ;  missing  the  hounds,  however,  it 
was  soon  discovered  they  had  slipped  off  silently  by 
themselves,  pointing  for  Ramsdell,  leaving  that  hamlet 
on  the  right,  to  Skyres,  when  they  ran  in  the  direction 
of  Ewhurst  Park,  but  skirting  the  coverts,  went  straight 
through  the  Deans  Wood,  and  on  gaining  the  open  the 
hounds  ran  into  and  killed  their  fox.  The  run  occupied 
thirty-five  minutes,  but  not  one  of  the  field  saw  any- 
thing of  the  hounds  till  they  had  passed  Ramsdell,  and 
were  never  able  to  get  near  them  till  they  reached  the 
Deans  Wood,  immediately  after  which  he  was  killed. 
This  was  only  a  young  fox  of  the  preceding  season,  he 
was  one  of  those  which  had  been  disturbed  from  the 
earths,  and  I  had  often  seen  him.  He  was  a  good,  wild 
specimen  of  the  vulpine  fraternity ;  there  was  no  dis- 
position in  him  to  run  the  chain  of  woodlands  which 
prevail  in  the  neighbourhood,  the  usual  propensity  of 
the  foxes  generally  which  are  bred  there.  The  moment 
he  was  found  he  faced  the  open,  skirted  the  Ewhurst 
coverts,  and  ran  through  Deans  Wood,  more  probably 
because  it  happened  to  be  in  his  line  than  from  any 
knowledge  of  its  locality,  for  it  contains  earths  which 
he  never  tried. 

Although  there  are  some  impediments  to  first-rate 
sport  in  the  Vine  country,  in  consequence  of  the  inter- 
minable woodlands  and  hedgerows  in  one  part  and  the 
bad-scenting  properties  of  the  other,  it  abounds  in 
wild,  stout-running  foxes,  which  may  be  attributed  in 


72  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

a  great  measure  to  the  custom  of  finally  closing  the 
earths  when  hunting  commences.  When  the  earths 
are  closed  at  the  commencement  of  the  season  the 
danger  of  stopping  foxes  under  ground  is  entirely 
obviated,  and  I  have  no  doubt  it  is  not  an  unfrequent 
occurrence.  If  the  weather  be  rough  and  unfavourable 
foxes  will  not  always,  unless  pressed  by  hunger,  leave 
their  earths  at  all ;  and  if  they  do,  are  very  apt  to 
return  as  expeditiously  as  possible  after  having  pro- 
cured their  food. 

With  regard  to  breaking  up  the  earths  entirely,  the 
plan  appears  to  possess  many  recommendations ;  it 
would  save  a  vast  deal  of  trouble  in  earth-stopping; 
and  as  the  propensities  of  foxes,  like  those  of  other 
animals,  are  controlled  by  habit,  those  which  are  bred 
above  ground  would  not  run  to  earth  when  pressed  by 
hounds  so  frequently  as  those  which  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  seek  repose  and  safety  in  such  asylums.  A 
fox  bred  in  an  earth  resorts  to  such  places  when  dis- 
turbed ;  he  has  found  repose  there  and  seeks  it  in  the 
moment  of  danger ;  it  becomes  his  habit.  After  his 
nocturnal  rambles  in  search  of  food  he  returns  to  his 
natural  dormitory,  though  it  may  not  be  the  identical 
place  in  which  he  was  born.  Foxes  that  are  accustomed 
to  this  '  life  below  stairs  '  instinctively  fly  to  those 
asylums  when  chased  by  hounds ;  they  find  a  barrier 
opposed  to  their  entrance,  but  if  the  scent  be  not  good 
and  the  underwood  is  thick,  they  will  often  hang  in 
covert,  in  a  great  measure  attracted  by  the  earths, 
which  they  scarcely  fail  to  visit  every  time  they  pass 
by  them.  At  length  becoming  weary,  they  enter  some 
rabbit  hole,  or  drain,  sufficiently  spacious  to  receive 
them.  The  objections  which  I  have  heard  against  this 
plan  are  that  it  would  cause  the  foxes  to  leave  the 
coverts  where  it  was  practised,  and  take  themselves  off 
to  those  of  a  neighbouring  hunt.  In  the  first  place,  I 
do  not  think  it  would  have  that  effect  to  any  extent, 
and  that  objection  would  be  obviated  if  the  adjoining 
hunt  would  adopt  a  similar  course. 


BREAKING   UP   EARTHS  73 

Masters  of  hounds  are  usually  desirous  to  promote 
the  sport  of  their  neighbours,  especially  if  by  so  doing 
they  can  augment  their  own;  the  jealousy  which 
existed  in  former  days  is  exploded.  Those  who  are 
most  intimately  acquainted  with  the  habits  of  the  fox 
are  aware  that  breaking  up  or  finally  closing  the  earths 
will  not  cause  the  foxes  to  leave  their  accustomed 
woodlands  if  they  be  kept  quiet.  It  is  when  they  are 
disturbed  by  rabbit  shooters  and  cur  dogs  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  breeding  season  that  they  will  seek 
repose  in  more  peaceful  quarters.  The  difference  in 
point  of  stoutness,  stamina,  and  wildness  between 
stub-bred  foxes  and  those  which  are  half-domesticated 
is  well  known,  and  any  master  of  hounds  would  not,  I 
conceive,  hesitate  in  making  the  election  with  which  he 
would  prefer  to  have  his  country  stocked.  Even  if  they 
were  not  so  numerous,  thirty  brace  of  good  wild,  flying 
foxes  would  afford  more  sport  than  treble  the  number 
of  bad  ones.  In  case  that  cordial  arrangement  could 
not  be  effected,  if  the  main  earths  were  to  be  broken  up 
in  the  centre  of  the  country  it  would  soon  be  decided  if 
the  practice  were  good  or  not,  and  in  that  case  there 
would  be  no  risk  of  driving  them  into  another  hunt.  It 
has  been  contended  that  foxes  so  treated  would  die 
from  want  of  shelter,  and  that  the  cubs  while  very  young 
would  be  liable  to  fall  victims  to  hawks  and  other  birds 
of  prey ;  on  the  latter  point  not  so  much  so  as  the 
young  leverets;  and  on  the  other,  when  it  is  observed 
that  in  the  Oakley  country  they  are  all  stub  bred,  and 
in  other  countries  they  are  partially  so,  that  objection 
is  confuted. 

I  must  now  quote  a  few  lines  from  that  great 
authority  on  hunting,  Beckford,  who,  it  will  be  seen, 
had  an  idea  of  the  plan  which  I  have  been  advocating. 
He  says  :  "I  am  not  certain  that  earths  are  the  safest 
places  for  foxes  to  breed  in ;  for  frequently,  when 
poachers  cannot  dig  them,  they  will  catch  the  young 
foxes  in  trenches  dug  at  the  mouth  of  the  hole,  which  I 
believe  they  call  'tunning'  them." 


74  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

An  objection  to  breaking  up  the  earths  has  been 
pointed  out  to  me  as  relates  to  the  fees  to  keepers,  that 
if  there  were  no  earths  to  stop,  and  consequently  no 
fees  for  doing  so,  the  keej>ers,  feeling  less  interest  in 
the  preservation  of  foxes,  would  be  still  greater  enemies 
to  them ;  but  that  difficulty  is  very  easily  overcome  by 
a  custom  adopted  in  some  countries  of  paying  the 
keepers  a  certain  sum  every  hunting  day  on  which  a 
fox  is  found  in  the  coverts  of  which  they  have  the  care, 
a  portion  of  that  sum  being  reserved  in  case  a  fox  goes 
to  ground  in  an  earth  which  they  have  neglected  to 
stop. 

Before  I  conclude  this  chapter  on  the  habits  of  the 
vulpine  race,  it  is  necessary  to  introduce  the  subject  of 
coverts.  When  our  forefathers  first  began  to  hunt  the 
fox  they  no  doubt  confined  their  operations  to  the  large 
woods  and  rocky  cliffs,  the  original,  and,  I  may  add, 
natural  places  of  resort  of  the  vulpine  race.  In  wild, 
uncultivated  districts  a  species  of  gorse  springs  up, 
generally  on  the  sides  or  summits  of  hills;  it  appears  to 
be  indigenous  to  the  soil.  Those  situations  may  like- 
wise be  included  as  having  afforded  amusement  to  our 
worthy  ancestors.  It  may  be  very  readily  understood 
that  when  the  large  woodlands  had  been  frequently 
routed  the  foxes  took  to  the  smaller  coverts  which  then 
existed,  formed  both  by  nature  and  art,  such  as  are 
known  by  the  names  of  gullies,  dingles,  spinnies, 
coppices,  and  brakes,  hollows,  or  bottoms,  generally 
acknowledged  as  '  fox-ground.'  At  the  same  time,  it 
may  be  observed  there  are  some  particular  spots  which 
those  animals  do  not  appear  to  patronise ;  for  I  have 
known  some  '  very  likely  places  '  where  foxes  never  lie, 
and  very  seldom,  if  ever,  run  through  them. 

As  foxes  became  dispersed,  it  was  found  more  agree- 
able to  hunt  them  over  the  open  plains  than  through 
the  woodlands,  especially  by  those  who  were  ambitious 
to  exhibit  their  equestrian  prowess ;  and  to  encourage 
the  foxes  to  frequent  smaller  coverts  from  whence  each 
horseman  had  an  equal  chance  of  '  a  fair  start '  followed 


FOX  COVERTS  75 

as  a  matter  of  course.  For  this  purpose  artificial  gorse 
coverts  were  formed,  independently  of  coppices  and 
plantations,  for  the  treble  purpose  of  preserving  game 
and  foxes,  and  of  converting  rough  unfertile  spots, 
unfavourable  to  agriculture,  into  profit  by  growing 
coppice  wood  and  plantation  timber.  Whether  the 
prevalence  of  gorse  coverts  in  some  of  the  most 
fashionable  countries,  especially  in  Leicestershire  and 
Northamptonshire,  is  conducive  to  sport  of  the  highest 
class,  is  rather  questionable ;  but  it  appears  that  the 
public  taste  is  better  pleased  with  a  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes'  burst  without  a  check,  or  any  impediment  to 
call  forth  the  talent  of  the  huntsman  or  the  exquisite 
hunting  faculties  of  the  hounds,  than  with  a  longer  run 
of  five-and-forty  minutes*  or  an  hour's  duration. 

From  the  time  of  Mr.  Meynell  to  the  present, 
Charnwood  Forest  has  been  the  stronghold  of  the 
vulpine  family  affecting  Leicestershire,  though  I  have 
no  doubt  it  is  very  materially  changed  from  what  it 
was  formerly.  The  Pytchley  country,  perhaps,  may  be 
ranked  first  as  possessing  the  most  important  wood- 
lands in  England,  which  includes  Rockingham  Forest, 
where  they  frequently  hunt  till  very  late  in  the  season ; 
and  my  memory  deceives  me  if  I  have  not  heard  of 
some  master  of  hounds  who  actually  hunted  throughout 
one  summer.  The  principal  woodlands  in  Warwickshire 
are  in  the  northern  division  of  the  country,  situated 
between  Warwick  and  Coleshill,  extending  to  Meriden. 
With  intervals  of  heavy-ploughed  land  they  are 
extensive  and  hold  a  good  scent,  and  when  regularly 
hunted  the  foxes  have  been  notorious  for  their  stout- 
ness ;  but  there  have  been  several  periods  during 
which  no  hounds  have  been  kept ;  and  where  that  has 
been  the  case,  foxes  are  in  general  destroyed  by  un- 
sportsmanlike means. 

Wychwood  Forest,  in  the  Heythrop  country,  is 
very  extensive ;  it  is  in  length  about  seven  miles  and 
nearly  four  in  breadth,  intersected  with  numerous  rides 
and  some  roads.    For  the  purpose  of  a  nursery  for  foxes 


76  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

it  is  invaluable  and  is  an  excellent  arena  both  for  cub- 
hunting  and  hunting  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  when 
the  young  crops  and  the  nature  of  the  coverts  render 
it  imprudent  to  continue  the  sport  in  the  open.  Capps' 
Lodge,  Chadlington  Gate,  Combury  Park,  Fair  Spear, 
Potter's  Lodge,  RLngwood  Oak,  and  White  Oak  Green, 
otherwise  Wittey  Green,  are  the  principal  places  of 
meeting  in  the  forest.  Foxes  found  at  Bruern, 
Tangley,  Westwell  and  Bradwell  Grove  will  often  run 
direct  to  Wychwood,  and  a  more  splendid  country  to 
cross  cannot  be  desired. 

In  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's  country  the  Lower  Woods 
are  the  most  important.  Though  by  no  means  so  ex- 
pansive as  Wychwood  Forest,  they  are  a  favourite 
rendezvous  of  the  vulpine  race.  In  a  wet  season  such 
as  that  of  1852  and  1853,  the  rides  are  awfully  deep, 
and  lost  shoes  and  occasionally  loose  horses  are  the 
results.  By  the  excellent  management  for  which  the 
duke's  hounds  are  signalised,  these  woods  are  constantly 
hunted ;  therefore  the  foxes  are  wild,  and  very  frequently 
afford  good  runs.  It  is  not  an  uncommon  occurrence 
to  find  a  fox  in  the  Lower  Woods  whose  line  is  up 
Hawkesbury  Hill  (a  choker  at  the  commencement)  to 
Bodkin  Hazles,  Swangrove,  across  Badminton  Park, 
and  if  the  hounds  do  not  previously  taste  him,  his 
point  is  Sopworth,  Sherston,  and  perhaps  Pinkney  Park. 
There  is  also  a  considerable  tract  of  hilly  woodlands 
about  Kilcot,  Boxwell,  Alderley,  and  Newark  Park, 
well  stocked  with  foxes. 

Earl  Fitzhardinge's  Berkeley  country  has  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  woodland,  although  none  of  the 
coverts  are  individually  very  extensive.  The  principal 
ones  are  those  on  the  line  of  hills  between  Dursley  and 
Wotton-under-Edge,  extending  to  Stinchcombe  and 
Westridge  in  one  direction,  and  towards  Kingscote  in 
the  other,  where  they  are  bounded  by  the  Duke  of 
Beaufort's  country  already  mentioned,  Kilcot,  Boxwell, 
and  Alderley.  His  lordship  has  also  a  fine  preserve  for 
foxes   and   game    in    Michaelwood ;    in   fact   it    is    un- 


BEWDLEY    FOREST  77 

necessary  to  state  that  his  lordship's  estate  is  well 
stocked  with  the  requisites  for  sport  of  all  kinds.  In 
the  Cheltenham  country  the  strongest  woodlands  are 
the  Chedworth,  Withington  and  Star  Woods,  all  of 
which  are  close  together.  The  Guiting  Woods  are  like- 
wise of  considerable  magnitude. 

Although  Shropshire  may  be  fairly  denominated  a 
woodland  country,  it  does  not  contain  any  woods  of 
great  size ;  but  they  are  numerous  in  many  parts,  and 
so  far  prejudicial  to  first-rate  sport,  and  many  of  them 
are  very  strong — consequently  hounds  experience  great 
difficulty  in  driving  the  foxes  through  them.  In  the 
Albrighton  Hunt  the  Areley  Woods  are  the  most 
considerable  and  lie  on  the  north-western  bank  of  the 
Severn.  The  Ran  Dans,  which  are  in  Worcestershire 
and  neutral  with  the  two  hunts,  are  as  strong  as  any 
I  ever  saw.  The  latter  country  in  its  general  character 
is  similar  to  Shropshire ;  but  in  parts  of  it  there  is  more 
grass.  There  is  a  large  extent  of  woodland  bordering 
on  the  two  counties,  called  Bewdley  Forest,  and  though 
not  preserved  it  is  a  very  favourite  resort  of  foxes.  It 
has  not  been  hunted  by  any  hounds  for  the  last  thirty 
years,  although  it  is  admirably  adapted  for  cub-hunt- 
ing. I  once  suggested  this  to  a  late  master  of  the 
Worcestershire,  who  was  horrified  at  the  idea,  exclaim- 
ing if  he  were  to  take  his  hounds  there  he  should  never 
expect  to  see  them  again. 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE    FAME     OF    LEICESTERSHIRE 

The  pre-eminence  which  Leicestershire  has  acquired  as 
the  great  and  fashionable  arena  of  fox-hunting  may  be 
ascribed  to  three  causes  :  the  nature  of  the  country 
being  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  purpose ;  the  eclat 
which  the  late  Mr.  Meynell  established  at  an  early  date, 
when  '  the  science  '  was  in  a  crude  state ;  and  the  lustre 
subsequently  shed  over  it  by  many  of  that  talented  fox- 
hunter's  successors. 

Mr.  Meynell  hunted  the  Quorn  country  about  five 
and  forty  years,  commencing  soon  after  the  termination 
of  the  first  half  of  the  last  century,  and  continuing  till 
the  first  or  second  year  in  the  present.  It  was,  of 
course,  long  before  my  time ;  but  having  for  many 
years  enjoyed  the  friendship  of  one  of  his  grandsons, 
and  also  of  the  late  Mr.  John  Lockley,  a  contemporary 
of  Mr.  Meynell's,  I  am  indebted  to  them  for  many 
interesting  facts  and  circumstances  connected  with  the 
chase  at  the  period  when  elegance  and  refinement  first 
shed  their  influential  rays  upon  it. 

When  Mr.  Meynell  first  entered  upon  Leicestershire 
he  resided  with  Mr.  Boothby,  who  contributed  towards 
the  expenses,  at  Langton  Hall,  and  the  hounds  were 
kept  at  Great  Bowden  Inn,  which,  although  in 
Leicestershire,  is  quite  on  the  confines,  bordering  on 
Northamptonshire ;  and  I  believe  he  hunted  part  of 
what  is  now  the  Pytchley  country.  He  subsequently 
purchased  Quorndon  Hall  from  the  Earl  Ferrers,  which 


ENTERING  HOUNDS  TO  HARE     79 

had  been  previously  occupied  as  a  club  and  to  which 
many  of  the  most  fashionable  men  of  the  day  belonged. 
On  removing  the  establishment  to  that  place  they  were 
designated  the  Quorn  hounds. 

One  of  the  peculiarities  of  Mr.  Meynell's  system  was 
that  of  entering  his  young  hounds  at  hare,  a  custom 
exploded  in  all  kennels  of  the  present  day.  I  have 
reason  to  believe  hisi  motive  for  doing  so  was  because 
many  contemporary  packs  hunted  both  hare  and  fox, 
a  custom  which  experience  proves  to  be  incompatible 
with  the  perfection  of  steadiness.  Another  motive  was 
that  of  teaching  hounds  to  hunt,  or,  in  kennel 
language,  'to  enter.'  Although  inconvenient,  it  was, 
perhaps,  less  objectionable  at  that  time  than  it  would 
be  now,  because  hares  were  by  no  means  so  numerous; 
but,  under  any  circumstances,  it  cannot  be  surprising 
that  hounds  should  have  a  predilection  for  the  pursuit 
of  an  animal  they  had  been  first  encouraged  to  hunt, 
and  that  great  severity  must  be  exercised  before  the 
poor  hounds  could  be  made  steady  to  the  proper  scent. 
If  hares  abound  in  the  neighbourhood  where  young 
hounds  are  reared,  they  will  very  probably  amuse 
themselves  with  a  little  independent  hunting  on  their 
own  account ;  to  which  there  is  no  objection,  probably 
the  reverse  :  it  teaches  them  to  hunt,  the  purpose  for 
which  they  are  bred  and  kept ;  therefore,  it  is  highly 
desirable  they  should  be  proficient  in  the  accomplish- 
ment. It  is  a  very  different  affair  when  they  take  to  it 
from  the  natural  impulse  of  instinct,  and,  being 
encouraged  to  hunt  a  scent  one  day  are  chastised  for 
doing  so  the  next.  As  young  hounds  are  now  treated, 
by  taking  them  to  exercise  among  hares  and  checking 
them  when  they  show  a  disposition  to  chase  the  timids, 
they  are  rendered  steady  without  punishment.  When 
cub-hunting  commences  those  hounds  are  generally 
found  to  enter  more  readily  which  have  indulged  in  a 
little  self-hunting  after  hares  when  at  their  walks. 

Mr.  Meynell  was  an  advocate  for  taking  out  an 
immense  number  of  hounds,  and  would  have  as  many 


80  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

as  one  hundred  couples  in  the  field.     Evidently  he  did 
not  value  the  advice  given  by  Somerville,  who  says, 

"  Here    must   th*    instructive    Muse    (but    with   respect) 
Censure  that  numerous  pack,  that  crowd  of  state, 
With  which  the  vain  profusion  of  the  great 
Covers  the  lawn,  and  shakes  the  trembling  copse. 
Pompous   encumbrance  !     a    map:nificence 
Useless,  vexatious    !     For  the  wily  fox. 
Safe  in  th'  increasing  number  of  his  foes, 
Kens  well  the  great  advantage;    slinks  behind. 
And  slyly  creeps  thro'  the  same  beaten  track, 
And  hunts  them  step  by  step;    then  views,  escap'd. 
With  inward  ecstasy,  the  panting  throng 
In  their  own  footsteps  puzzled,  foil'd  and  lost." 

The  extraordinary  command,  or  rather  subjection, 
under  which  Mr.  Meynell's  hounds  were  disciplined, 
will  be  gleaned  from  an  anecdote  related  of  them  by 
Colonel  Cook.  In  his  Observations  on  Hunting  he 
mentions  "  the  circumstance  of  Mr.  Meynell's  hounds 
waiting  in  the  same  field,  while  a  few  couples  selected 
from  the  pack  were  running  hard  in  an  adjoining  gorse, 
nor  did  they  attempt  to  break  from  the  whipper-in 
until  cheered  to  the  cry  by  Jack  Raven.'*  The  plan 
of  selecting  a  few  couples  of  hounds  to  draw  the  gorse 
was,  no  doubt,  adopted  in  order  to  avoid  the  danger 
of  chopping  the  fox  in  covert,  an  event  very  likely  to 
happen  with  such  a  numerous  phalanx  as  one  hundred 
couples  of  hounds.  I  also  remember  having  heard  Mr. 
Lockley  mention  similar  instances  of  the  subjection 
under  which  they  were  managed,  but  he  thoroughly 
exonerated  both  the  master  and  the  huntsman  from 
any  acts  of  severity.  The  steadiness  and  docility 
of  the  hounds  were  manifested  on  all  occasions.  They 
hunted  three  days  in  the  week,  and  the  average  number 
of  foxes  which  they  killed  throughout  a  season  was 
about  thirty-six  brace ;  but  then  it  must  be  remembered 
the  country  was  of  far  greater  extent  than  at  the 
present  time,  as  it  then  included  the  Donnington. 

Since    Sir    Richard    Sutton     has    hunted    the    Quom 


HUGO  MEYNELL  81 

country  the  average  number  of  foxes  killed  annually 
has  been  about  forty-six  brace,  besides  many  which 
have  been  marked  to  ground  and  left,  for  they  seldom 
dig  a  fox  out  after  the  regular  hunting  commences. 

As  Mr.  Meynell  hunted  only  three  days  in  the  week 
and  Sir  Richard  Sutton  hunts  six,  it  appears  there  were 
a  greater  number  of  foxes  killed  in  the  '  olden  times,' 
in  proportion  to  the  number  of  hunting  days.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  country 
was  nearly,  if  not  quite,  double  the  present  extent. 
Neither  is  the  number  of  foxes  killed  a  criterion  of 
sport. 

It  was  the  custom  with  Mr.  Meynell  to  have  the 
hounds  taken  the  night  before  hunting  to  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  coverts  which  they  were  to  draw  on  the 
following  day,  even  if  the  distance  did  not  exceed  a  few 
miles.  This  was  of  course  done  with  a  view  of  having 
them  fresh  to  commence  their  work,  but  it  must  have 
been  a  mistaken  idea ;  for  it  is  quite  certain  neither 
man,  horse,  nor  hound  reposes  so  comfortably  as  in  the 
bed,  stall,  or  kennel  to  which  he  is  accustomed. 

The  good  taste  which  Mr.  Meynell  displayed  in  other 
affairs  besides  those  of  the  chase  led  him  into  the  best 
society  of  the  day ;  the  man  of  fashion  being  combined 
with  the  sportsman  must  have  assisted  most  materially 
in  stamping  upon  the  '  Noble  Science  '  that  distinction 
with  which  he  impressed  it.  He  has  been  represented 
as  having  been  the  beau  ideal  of  society,  if  such  a  term 
can  be  used  individually ;  and  his  courteous  yet  en- 
thusiastic manner  in  the  field  gave  him  a  command 
which  few  masters  of  hounds  ever  enjoyed.  Moreover, 
there  were  not  so  many  horsemen,  neither  were  there  any 
of  the  promiscuous  class  to  interfere  with  the  working 
details  of  the  chase.  In  the  selection  of  a  stomachic, 
cordial,  restorative,  tonic,  or  by  whatever  term  he 
might  have  been  pleased  to  describe  it,  his  choice  was 
certainly  singular.  Some  gentlemen  go  forth  into  the 
hunting  field  provided  with  small  flasks  of  sherrAs 
curagoa,    cherry   brandy,    or     similar     spirituous    com- 

F 


82  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

pounds ;  but  it  was  Mr.  Meynell's  pleasure  to  take  none 
of  those ;  a  small  dose  of  tincture  of  rhubarb  supplied 
the  pla^e  of  more  stimulating,  and  to  most  palates  more 
agreeable,  restoratives.  How  the  constant  use  of  the 
draught  might  have  the  effect  of  rendering  the  consti- 
tution less  susceptible  of  its  properties,  I  will  not  pre- 
sume to  state,  but  it  was  such  a  one  that  few  persons 
could  indulge  in  without  experiencing  some  inconveni- 
ence. 

As  a  very  constant  attendant  at  the  covert-side  with 
Mr.  Meynell'si  hounds  I  have  already  mentioned  the 
name  of  Mr.  Lockley;  and  I  cannot  pass  him  over 
without  some  further  notice,  for  as  a  sportsman  of  the 
old  school  he  was  justly  celebrated ;  perhaps  more  as 
a  rider  to  hounds  than  for  his  judgment  in  hunting. 
This  veteran  sportsman  was  bom  at  Barton  Hall,  in 
the  county  of  Derby,  in  the  year  1750.  It  is  somewhat 
remarkable  that  the  house  in  which  he  was  born  was 
at  one  time  the  residence  of  Oliver  Cromwell  and  that 
Mr.  Lockley  subsequently  resided  at  Boscobel  House 
in  Staffordshire,  renowned  in  history  as  the  refuge  of 
King  Charles  II.  after  the  battle  of  Worcester,  The 
places  in  which  the  king  was  concealed  were  carefully 
preserved  when  Mr.  Lockley  resided  there,  but  most  of 
the  other  parts  of  the  house  were  altered.  In  a  field 
adjoining  the  garden  stands  the  royal  oak,  raised  from 
an  acorn  of  the  original  oak  in  which  the  king  found 
shelter ;  and  I  believe  all  these  relics  are  still  kept  in 
order. 

Mr.  Lockley  may  be  said  to  have  passed  more  than 
half  his  life-time  on  horseback.  He  was  a  very  early 
riser,  and  no  sooner  had  he  taken  his  breakfast  than  he 
mounted  his  horse,  if  in  the  winter,  to  ride  to  covert ;  in 
summer,  either  to  go  on  a  journey,  call  on  his  friends, 
or  inspect  his  farming — a  pursuit  which  he  followed  at 
Boscobel  and  subsequently  near  Pershore,  where  he 
resided  during  the  last  ten  or  twelve  years  of  his  life, 
although  it  is  to  be  regretted  agriculture  was  not  to 
him  a  profitable  speculation.     At  the  time  he  lived  at 


JOHN   LOCKLEY  88 

Boscobel  he  hunted  with  Lord  Talbot's  hounds  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Cannock  Chase,  Rugeley,  Lichfield, 
and  parts  adjacent,  which  were  often  within  reach  of 
his  own  house ;  Lord  Vernon's,  in  the  Sudbury,  and 
what  is  now  called  the  Atherstone  country' ;  Mr. 
Corbet's,  in  Warwickshire,  and,  as  before  stated,  with 
Mr.  Meynell's.  He  has  often  told  me  of  a  great  day's 
sport  he  once  enjoyed  with  two  packs  of  hounds,  some- 
where about  the  year  1790 ;  and  Uttle  did  I  think  at  the 
time  I  should  ever  attempt  to  narrate  his  anecdotes, 
otherwise  I  should  have  treasured  them  more  carefully 
in  the  form  of  memorandums.  My  memory  does  not 
serve  me  with  minute  particulars ;  but  he  always  com- 
menced the  tale  with,  "  We  breakfasted  at  twelve 
o'clock."  Mr.  Hawkes,  of  Snitterfield,  his  contem- 
porary and  intimate  friend,  a  gentleman  equally  cele- 
brated as  himself,  was  his  companion.  They  met  Lord 
Talbot's  hounds,  to  begin  with,  at  a  very  early  hour, 
which  implied  the  necessity  for  breaking  their  fast  at 
midnight.  They  saw  a  capital  run  with  those  hounds, 
and  then  went  on  to  meet  Mr.  Meynell's,  who  threw 
off  later  in  the  day.  They  had  also  an  excellent  run 
with  them,  and  the  tale  was  concluded  with  the  declara- 
tion that  "  it  was  twelve  o'clock  at  night  before  they 
retired  to  rest."  It  must  have  been  a  very  severe  day 
for  them  and  their  horses ;  of  course  they  had  fresh 
hunters  for  the  second  pack ;  but  it  was  not  the  fashion 
in  those  days  to  have  second  horses  in  the  field. 

As  a  rider  to  hounds  Mr.  Lockley  was  very  superior, 
and  his  great  experience  rendered  him  a  valuable 
acquaintance  to  a  young  beginner.  An  admonition 
which  he  once  gave  me  I  have  never  forgotten.  We 
were  hunting  with  Lord  Lichfield's,  then  Lord  Anson's 
hounds  in  the  Atherstone  country,  and  in  the  run  my 
horse  fell  at  a  fence.  When  I  got  on  him  again, 
thinking  he  had  been  somewhat  careless,  I  drove  the 
spurs  into  him,  which  Lockley  remarking  said,  "Never 
punish  your  horse  after  he  is  over  his  fence ;  it  is  the 
most  likely  thing  in  the  world  to  cause  him  to  refuse ; 


81  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

besides  which,*'  added  he,  "  people  in  this  country  will 
think  you  never  had  a  fall  before."  The  latter  part  of 
his  counsel  made  some  impression,  the  former  a  great 
deal.  When  hunting  in  the  Albrighton  country,  then 
under  the  management  of  Mr.  Boycott,  and  riding  a 
horse  belonging  to  Mr.  William  Grazebrook,  poor 
Lockley  had  a  bad  fall,  from  the  effects  of  which  he 
never  recovered ;  and  he  breathed  his  last  at  that 
gentleman's  house.  This  happened,  if  my  calculations 
are  correct,  in  the  spring  of  1827 ;  consequently  he  had 
nearly  attained  the  patriarchal  age  of  eighty  years.  If 
his  activity  had  failed  him  his  pluck  had  not ;  for  a  very 
few  seasons  before  the  accident  occurred  which  termin- 
ated so  fatally,  he  had  distinguished  himself  in  the 
three  best  runs  of  the  year — in  Leicestershire, 
Warwickshire  and  Shropshire. 

Without  presuming  to  be  an  accomplished  scholar, 
Mr.  Lockley  was  '  well  up '  in  sporting  language,  and 
always  appeared  annoyed  when  he  heard  it  mutilated. 
He  had  a  great  and  proper  aversion  to  hear  a  hound 
called  a  dog,  and  used  to  say  it  was  an  insult  to  the 
highest-bred  and  most  sagacious  of  our  domestic 
animals,  synonymous  with  snob  as  applied  to  the 
human  race ;  and  invariably  included  any  person  who 
made  use  of  the  term  in  the  category  of  the  synonym. 
During  the  latter  period  of  his  life  the  word  '  meet ' 
came  into  use  as  designating  the  appointment  or  place 
of  meeting  of  hounds,  to  which  he  had  an  equal  dislike. 
I  remember  a  juvenile  sportsman  saying  to  him  one 
day  when  out  hunting,  ''Where  is  the  meet  to- 
morrow.^" Upon  which  he  replied,  "There  will  be  a 
leg  of  mutton  on  my  table  to-morrow  at  six  o'clock,  if 
that  is  what  you  mean,  and  I  shall  be  happy  if  you 
will  come  and  partake  of  it."  So  far  he  was  right,  for 
the  word  is  not  to  be  found  as  a  substantive  in  our 
language  upon  the  authority  of  the  dictionaries ;  it  has 
been  coined  for  the  purpose,  and  custom  has  brought  it 
into  use  as  a  common  term ;  nevertheless  it  is  not  a 
correct  one,  or  an  elegant  mode  of  expression. 


LOCKLEYS   MAXIMS  85 

With  young  beginners,  if  intimately  acquainted,  he 
was  verj'^  kind  in  giving  them  hints  and  advice — teaching 
them  how  they  should  go  in  a  manner  peculiar  to  him- 
self ;  and  if  sometimes  they  were  mixed  up  with  a  slight 
degree  of  sarcasm,  as  in  the  latter  instance,  they  were 
well  meant  and  impressive.  His  great  experience  and 
age  entitled  him  to  some  latitude  of  expression,  and  he 
was  sincere  in  his  motives.  For  one,  I  feel  much 
indebted  to  him,  and  often  regret  not  having  followed 
his  injunctions  more  implicitly.  It  would  have  saved 
me  many  misadventures  and  many  five-pound  notes ; 
but,  unfortunately,  it  is  too  often  the  case  in  our 
youthful  days  that  we  slight  the  admonitions  of  our 
best-experienced  mentors,  and  in  no  walk  of  life  is  good 
counsel  of  greater  importance  than  in  the  sporting 
world.  From  Mr.  Lockley's  experience,  observant 
habits,  and  devotion  to  fox-hunting,  his  maxims  were 
worthy  of  attention.  I  recollect  a  message  he  sent  by 
me  to  Mr.  Boycott,  when  that  gentleman  first  began  to 
hunt  the  Albrighton  country.  When  he  commenced, 
he  killed  several  cubs  and  some  old  foxes  with  rather  an 
unrelenting  hand,  which  reached  Lockley's  ears. 
"  Give  my  compliments  to  Mr.  Boycott,"  said  he, 
"and  tell  him  not  to  be  too  fond  of  killing  his  foxes 
do\vn.  It  is  as  necessary  for  sport  to  have  a  stock  of 
foxes  in  condition,  and  acquainted  with  the  country, 
as  it  is  to  have  hounds  and  horses  in  condition."  When 
riding  to  hounds  he  was  particularly  careful  to  avoid 
pressing  upon  them.  '*  Anticipating  a  check,"  as  he 
called  it,  ''  was  a  necesisary  caution  with  every  man 
who  desired  to  ride  like  a  sportsman."  By  this  he 
meant  taking  notice  if  there  was  anything,  such  as  a 
flock  of  sheep,  herd  of  cattle,  team  at  plough,  or 
labourer  at  work  in  the  line,  calculated  to  head  the 
fox  and  occasion  a  check.  There  are  many  gentlemen 
of  the  present  day  who  would  profit  greatly  by  this 
hint. 

The  successor  to  Mr.  Meynell  was  the  late  Earl  of 
Sefton.       The  magnificence   and   style  which  his   lord- 


86  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

ship  introduced  far  exceeded  anything  of  the  kind 
heretofore  heard  of  in  the  fox-hunting  world.  At 
all  events,  it  was  introduced  in  a  different  light,  in 
accordance  with  the  fashion  of  the  day ;  of  which,  it  is 
almost  needless  to  add,  the  noble  earl  was  the  magnet 
and  the  polar  star.  Driving  four-in-hand  was  in  great 
vogue,  and  his  lordship  was  a  professor  of  the  art.  It 
was  not,  therefore,  an  unusual  thing  to  see  Lord 
Sefton's  splendid  team,  as  well  as  those  of  several  other 
noblemen  and  gentlemen,  at  the  place  of  meeting  when 
available  for  wheels. 

Being  a  heavy-weight  his  lordship  introduced  the 
fashion,  which  has  subsequently  become  prevalent,  of 
having  a  second  horse  in  the  field;  and  it  is  a  custom 
which  cannot  be  too  strongly  advocated,  effecting,  in 
the  long  run  a  great  saving  of  horse-flesh.  Masters  of 
hounds  will  always  find  it  conducive  to  economy  to  have 
second  horses  for  themelves  and  their  servants.  When 
a  horse  is  tired  down,  jaded,  he  requires  some  time  to 
recover,  and  may  often  not  be  fit  to  ride  again  under 
nine  or  ten  days ;  at  all  events  not  under  a  week ;  but  a 
horse  that  has  only  had  moderate  duty  to  perform  will 
come  out  again  in  four  or  five  days  and  will  go  through 
a  season  more  satisfactorily  than  one  which  is  ridden 
till  he  is  tired,  if  it  be  only  once  in  a  fortnight.  Those 
who  only  keep  small  studs  may  say  they  cannot  do  it. 
With  three  horses  a  man  may  desire  to  hunt  four  days 
in  the  week,  which,  barring  accidents,  he  may  do,  pro- 
vided also  that  they  are  of  mature  age,  in  first-rate 
condition,  and  carefully  ridden.  Even  with  that  small 
stud  when  the  hounds  meet  near  home  it  will  be  most 
desirable  to  have  two  horses  out;  but  not  exactly  Uf>on 
the  system  generally  adopted  with  second  horses,  which 
implies  that  the  second  horse  goes  to  the  place  of  meet- 
ing and  is  kept  out  the  day  through.  The  plan  which  is 
now  frequently  adopted  in  such  cases  is  to  have  a  fresh 
horse  brought  to  an  appointed  place,  where  the  hounds 
are  expected  to  draw,  about  two  o'clock,  and  to  ex- 
change the  one  that  has  been  ridden  up  to  that  time. 


TOM  ASSHETON   SMITH  87 

It  is  thus  very  little  more  than  exercise  for  either.  Of 
course  it  may  sometimes  happen  that  the  hounds  find 
early  and  run  in  a  contrary  direction  to  where  the  fresh 
horse  has  been  ordered  to  go ;  but  the  line  of  country 
usually  drawn  from  certain  places  of  meeting  is  pretty 
generally  known,  and  therefore  it  will  not  often  occur 
that  the  fresh  horse  cannot  be  found.  Moreover,  it 
will  occasionally  happen  that  a  second  horse,  although 
out  all  day,  is  not  to  be  met  with  when  wanted,  in  the 
event  of  a  run  with  a  straight-going  fox. 

Lord  Sefton  was  the  first,  and  I  believe  the  only 
master  of  hounds  who  had  not  only  two  packs  but  also 
two  huntsmen — John  Raven,  who  occupied  that  ap- 
pointment to  Mr.  Meynell,  and  Stephen  Goodall.  In 
fact  his  lordship  was,  from  what  I  can  learn,  perfectly 
liberal  in  everything  conducive  to  sport,  or  in  any  way 
calculated  to  add  eclat  to  fox-hunting,  but  did  not  con- 
tinue verj'^  long  at  the  head  of  affairs.  In  1810  his  lord- 
ship sold  Quorndon  Hall,  which  he  had  purchased 
from  Mr.  Meynell,  with  all  its  appurtenances,  to  the 
late  Lord  Foley,  who  was  also  a  distinguished  friend  and 
contemporar>^  of  Mr.  Meynell.  This  last  nobleman's 
career  as  a  master  of  hounds  in  Leicestershire  was  very 
short  ;  other  amusements  at  that  time  rising  in  the 
estimation  of  many  of  the  wealthy  fashionables  of  the 
day  unfortunately  attracted  his  lordship  from  the  chase, 
and  Mr.  Thomas  Assheton  Smith  made  his  debut  in 
1812. 

That  gentleman's  name  and  high  reputation  as  a 
sportsman  are  so  well-known  in  fox-hunting  circles  that 
any  eulogiums  from  me  would  be  superfluous.  I  must, 
however,  observe  that  he  was  the  first  gentleman  who 
essayed  to  hunt  his  own  hounds  in  the  far-famed  Quorn 
country,  and,  moreover,  that  it  was  his  first  appearance 
in  that  character  in  any  country.  It  was  a  bold  at- 
tempt undoubtedly,  but  that  was  always  a  dis- 
tinguishing feature  throughout  his  life.  His  idea  of  the 
practicability  of  a  fence  was  that  it  could  be  got  over 
with  a  fall ;  his  object  was  to  be  in  the  same  field  with 


88  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

his  hounds,  at  any  risk.  And  it  has  been  asserted  that 
his  falls  averaged  something  like  one  hundred  during  a 
season ;  yet  I  believe  he  never  sustained  very  serious 
injuries  in  the  way  of  broken  limbs,  though  doubtless 
he  must  have  received  many  very  hard  blows.  This 
proves  two  facts,  Mr.  Assheton  Smith's  superiority  as 
a  horseman,  and  perfect  coolness  in  the  time  of  danger. 
If  an  inferior  horseman  happens  to  meet  with  one 
awkward  fall  he  isi  almost  certain  to  sustain  some 
damage,  more  particularly  if  his  nerve  is  deficient.  In 
fact  the  art  of  falling  may  be  considered  as  forming 
part  of  the  science  of  equestrianism  necessary  to  a  man 
who  rides  with  hounds. 

In  1817  Mr.  Assheton  Smith  transferred  his  title  to  the 
possession  of  Quorndon  Hall  and  the  country  to  Mr. 
Osbaldeston,  a  gentleman  whose  sporting  exploits  of  all 
kinds  are  generally  known  throughout  all  the  civilised 
districts  of  the  globe.  At  one  period  of  his  life  he  would 
have  challenged  any  mortal  breathing  to  a  diversity  of 
achievements! ;  in  fact  he  did  so,  but  there  was  no 
response.  There  were  very  few  men  who  could  compete 
with  him  in  individual  enterprises ;  but  it  was  not  till 
some  years  had  elapsed,  after  his  first  appearance  in 
Leicestershire  as  a  master  of  hounds,  that  he  distin- 
guished himself  in  the  various  accomplishments  of 
shooting,  cricketing,  steeple-chasing,  race  riding,  cum 
multis  aliis.  However,  I  must  not  get  off  the  line  to 
describe  them. 

About  the  middle  of  the  season  of  1821  Mr. 
Osbaldeston  sold  the  greater  portion  of  his  hounds, 
horses,  and  the  establishment  at  Quorn  to  Sir 
Bellingham  Graham,  who  at  that  time  had  just  com- 
menced hunting  the  Hambledon  country  in  Hampshire, 
where  Mr.  Osbaldeston  succeeded  the  baronet,  who 
only  remained  in  Leicestershire  one  clear  season  after- 
wards. The  Hambledon  country  was  by  no  means 
consonant  with  Mr.  Osbaldeston's  taste  or  talent  as  a 
huntsman.  It  was  more  suitable  to  one  of  the  old 
school,    by    whom    brilliant    bursts,    distinguished    for 


SQUIRE    OSBALDESTON  89 

pace,  were  not  held  in  so  much  estimation  as  hunting 
runs;  and  in  1823  '  The  Squire,'  as  he  was  termed  by 
his  friends,  returned  to  his  old  quarters  at  Quorndon 
Hall,  and  Sir  Bellingham  Graham  w^ent  into  what  is 
now  called  the  Albrighton  country.  Mr.  Osbaldeston 
then  undertook  the  arduous  post  of  hunting  his  own 
hounds.  On  the  previous  occasion  Tom  Sebright  offici- 
ated ;  Dick  Burton  was  the  first  whip  to  Mr.  Osbaldeston, 
until  he  met  with  a  severe  accident,  when  his  place 
was  occupied  by  the  equally  well-known  Jack  Stevens, 
assisted  by  James  Shirley ;  and  two  more  efficient 
whippers-in  never  turned  hounds  to  their  huntsman's 
horn. 

With  what  pleasure  do  we  retrace  our  lives  to  the 
period  of  our  youthful  days,  and  what  a  happy  circum- 
stance it  is  that  we  retain  more  vivid  recollection  of 
subjects  which  afford  us  delight  than  of  those  which 
create  vexation  !  Thus  we  refer  to  by-gone  days  with 
considerable  satisfaction,  and  compare  them  with  the 
present  as  having  been  more  profuse  of  prosperity  and 
social  happiness.  This  is  not  an  unaccountable  feeling 
considering  that  youth  is  the  stage  of  our  existence 
when  we  are  most  susceptible  to  the  impressions  of  joy, 
ere  we  have  encountered  the  deceits  of  mankind,  the 
stratagems  of  malevolence  and  the  vicissitudes  of 
fortune ;  ere  we  have  gained  knowledge  by  experience, 
and  are  more  capable  of  detecting  imperfections,  which 
being  discovered  detract  something  from  the  enjoy- 
ment of  pursuits  with  which  they  may  be  connected. 
Highly  elated  was  I  when  I  first  contemplated  a  visit  to 
the  Elysian  Fields  of  Leicestershire.  It  was  at 
Christmas,  1826,  I  made  an  engagement  with  a  neigh- 
bouring friend,  a  junior  relative  of  Mr.  Lockley's,  to 
join  our  forces  and  take  a  trip  to  Melton. 

Not  wishing  to  incur  unnecessary  expenses,  our 
arrangements  were  made  in  this  fashion.  My  friend 
had  three  hunters,  and  he  undertook  to  drive  me  to 
Melton  in  his  buggy,  which  was  likewise  to  be  our  mode 
of   conveyance  to   covert,  when  the   place   of  meeting 


90  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

admitted  of  that  mode  of  travelling.  He  sent  his  valet, 
who  officiated  for  both  of  us,  and  one  man  with  his 
horses.  My  stud  consisted  of  four  hunters  and  a  hack ; 
with  wliich  I  sent  my  groom,  a  helper,  and  boy  to 
take  our  horses  to  covert,  and  the  servants  assisted 
each  other  in  the  duties  of  the  stable. 

We  set  off  on  Thursday  the  third  of  February,  and 
after  paying  a  visit  to  a  friend  on  the  road,  reached 
Melton  about  mid-day  on  Sunday,  when  we  took  up 
our  quarters  at  the  well-known  and  well-conducted 
hotel  the  George ;  the  horses  and  servants  were 
quartered  at  the  Harborough  Arms,  twenty-six  shillings 
per  horse  being  the  charge  for  stabling  and  all  neces- 
sary provender.  On  our  arrival  we  found  the  fixtures 
rather  unpropitious.  The  following  day  the  Duke  of 
Rutland's,  Lord  Lonsdale's,  and  the  Quom  were  too 
far  off  to  admit  of  our  hunting  with  either  without 
sending  our  horses  on,  and  we  arrived  too  late  for  that, 
consequently  we  had  to  amuse  ourselves  in  the  best 
way  we  could,  although  there  was  not  such  a  thing  as  a 
public  billiard  table  in  the  town.  But  on  the  Tuesday 
the  Quorn  hounds  met  at  Rollestone. 

Anticipating  any  event  upon  which  great  interest  is 
centred,  it  is  a  very  common  thing  to  form  a  sort  of 
picture  in  the  mind  of  the  tout  ensemhle  and  the 
details.  It  is  a  natural  conclusion  that  I  had  done  so 
on  this  occasion,  and  as  my  experience  in  hunting  had 
been  confined  to  the  provincials,  and  my  knowledge  of 
the  noble  science  was  but  limited,  it  is  an  equally  nat- 
ural conclusion  that  my  ideas  turned  upon  superficial 
objects.  Although  so  many  years  have  elapsed,  I  have 
still  the  most  lively  recollections  both  of  ideas  and 
realities.  Of  course,  I  had  heard  of  Mr,  Osbaldeston's 
fame— of  that  of  his  hounds,  his  horses,  and  of  the 
country.  I  imagined  that  in  the  person  of  '  The 
Squire,'  I  should  see  a  man  of  the  highest  fashion  '  got 
up  '  most  elaborately  and  with  some  little  affectation, 
and  that  on  any  occasion  of  his  hoimds  being  pressed 
upon  he  would  be  outrageous.       Of  the  hounds  I  had 


SQUIRE   OSBALDESTON  91 

formed  a  tolerably  correct  estimate ;  of  the  horses,  I 
expected  to  have  seen  everything  delightful  to  the  eye  ; 
with  respect  to  appearance — I  may  say  beauty — on 
that  I  had  formed  an  erroneous  conclusion.  Touching 
the  whippers-in,  I  had  pictured  them  smart  in  the 
extreme ;  and  of  the  country,  that  it  abounded  in 
double  posts  and  rails,  fences  of  impracticable  magni- 
tude, and  brooks  innumerable.  Having  indulged  in 
this  little  dream,  and  discoursed  to  my  friend,  who, 
like  myself,  was  a  novice  in  the  country,  on  the 
probabilities  of  what  we  should  find,  we  arrived  at  the 
appointed  place,  and  I  will  now  proceed  to  give  some 
description  of  the  realities. 

Instead  of  finding  Mr.  Osbaldeston  what  I  had 
fancied,  I  found  him  attired  in  precisely  what  a  master 
of  hounds  ought  to  be ;  that  is  clad  in  what  is  necessary 
to  comfort  and  convenience,  without  any  superfluous 
attempts  at  'effect;'  and  although  hats  were  the  fashion 
of  the  day  for  gentlemen,  he  wore  a  cap  similar  to 
those  of  the  men ;  an  unassuming  single-breasted  coat, 
white  cords,  with  top-boots,  neither  peculiar  for  their 
whiteness  or  any  eccentricity  of  shade,  comprised  the 
Squire's  costume.  Of  the  hounds,  they  certainly 
exhibited  everything  and  more  than  what  I  had  anti- 
cipated, much  as  I  had  heard  in  their  praise,  and 
perfect  as  I  expected  them  to  be.  The  whippers-in, 
neat  and  clean,  but  everything  apparently  selected 
with  an  eye  to  business,  for  they  were  not  half  so  smart 
as  some  which  I  had  recently  seen  in  a  provincial 
country.  The  horses  nearly  thorough-bred,  but 
certainly  chosen  more  for  their  intrinsic  goodness  than 
appearance ;  in  fact  had  they  been  offered  singly  for 
sale  in  a  fair  they  would  not  at  dealer's  valuation  have 
realised  five  and  thirty  pounds  apiece,  though  from 
their  known  good  qualities  they  would  have  commanded 
long  prices  at  Tattersall's,  where  scratches  and  scars 
from  stubs  and  briars,  or  blows  from  stakes,  are  not 
much  heeded. 

I  could  not  fail  to  admire  the  precision  with  which  the 


92  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

hounds  drew  three  small  coverts  blank,  every  hound 
beinji:  intent  on  trying  to  find  his  fox.  Mr.  Osbaldeston 
spoke  to  them  but  little  when  in  covert.  In  strong 
gorse  he  went  in  with  them  himself,  and  spaniels  could 
not  have  done  their  work  more  satisfactorily. 

As  to  their  steadiness  from  hare,  I  could  form  no 
opmion ;  for  I  did  not  see  more  than  three  during  the 
whole  of  my  sojourn  in  Leicestershire.  On  entering 
Shangton  Holt  a  hound  almost  immediately  challenged, 
and  a  fox,  without  any  pressing  gallantry,  broke  in  the 
direction  of  Rollestone,  when  being  headed  short  back 
about  a  mile  from  where  he  was  found,  turned  up 
wind  and  skirting  Shangton  Holt,  was  lost,  after  a 
very  pretty  burst  of  twenty-nine  minutes,  at  Kibworth. 
The  first  twenty-five  minutes  was  without  a  check, 
excepting  momentarily  at  the  point  where  he  was 
headed,  but  asi  he  was  viewed  no  time  was  lost.  The 
pace  was  fast,  and  the  distance  six  miles.  I  will  not 
enumerate  the  runs  which  my  diary  affords  me  an 
opportunity  of  doing ;  for,  unless  some  particular  events 
had  occurred,  details  of  them  would  be  uninteresting, 
especially  after  a  lapse  of  years. 

In  the  difficult  art  of  breeding  hounds,  it  is 
universally  admitted  that  Mr.  Osbaldeston  had  no 
superior,  and  their  condition  was  equally  perfect ;  their 
stoutness,  in  a  great  measure  the  result  of  condition, 
was  pre-eminently  good.  As  they  hunted  six  days  in 
the  week,  meeting  at  half-past  ten  o'clock,  and  often 
having  long  days,  neither  Mr.  Osbaldeston  nor  the  first 
whip  could  devote  their  attention  to  the  feeding 
department ;  they  must  have  been  entrusted  to  the 
kennel-man,  upon  whom  a  vast  deal  of  the  condition  of 
a  pack  depends,  but  not  all.  Good  sound  constitutions 
are  necessary  to  begin  with,  and  plenty  of  strong 
exercise,  or  work,  in  due  season,  to  complete  the 
desideratum. 

The  favourite  stud  hound  in  the  Squire's  kennel  was 
Furrier,  by  the  Belvoir  Saladin  out  of  Mr.  Osbaldeston 's 
Fallacy,  entered  in  1821 ;  and  in  the  year  1829,  at  which 


SQUIRE   OSBALDESTON  98 

period  they  were  in  the  P}i:chley  countr>%  there  were 
no  less  than  twenty-four  and  a  half  couples  by  him. 
The  Squire  would  occasionally  make  the  whole  of  his 
draft  for  the  day's  hunting  of  hounds  by  this  celebrated 
sire,  a  circumstance  which,  I  believe,  no  other  master 
could  imitate.  In  the  abstruse  mystery  of  breeding 
hounds  Mr.  Osbaldeston  was  to  the  highest  degree 
eminent ;  he  perfectly  understood  the  symmetry  of  the 
fox-hound  and  those  combinations  which  are  necessary 
to  attain  perfection.  His  retirement  from  the  list  of 
masters  of  hounds,  which  took  place  in  1834,  was  a  sub- 
ject of  serious  regret  to  every  devotee  of  '  the  noble 
science.' 

Many  persons  were  of  opinion  that  Mr.  Osbaldeston 
was  hasty ;  that  he  was  quick  cannot  be  denied,  especially 
in  getting  his  hounds  away  after  a  fox  had  broken 
covert,  and  it  was  that  quickness  which  occasioned  so 
many  of  the  fast  bursts  for  which  he  was  so  highly 
celebrated.  To  make  a  good  beginning  is  of  the  greatest 
importance ;  if  the  first  burst  is  sufficiently  fast  to  blow 
the  fox  and  force  him  off  his  point,  a  huntsman  may 
plaj'  with  him  as  he  pleases  afterwards.  A  long  slow 
run  of  three  or  four  hours'  duration  was  not  then,  any 
more  than  it  is  now,  the  kind  of  chase  to  suit  the  pre- 
vailing spirit  in  Leicestershire.  That  was  exploded  in 
Mr.  Meynell's  time,  and  is  not  likely  to  be  revived. 
With  respect  to  pace,  Mr.  Osbaldeston  was  perfectly 
suited  to  the  country  and  the  taste  of  those  who  hunted 
in  it.  Leicestershire  is  a  county  peculiarly  adapted  to 
Mr.  Osbaldeston's  style  of  hunting,  where  he  could 
throw  his  hounds  into  a  gorse  covert  with  almost  a 
certainty  of  finding;  where  he  could  get  them  away 
close  to  his  brush,  and  with  anything  like  a  scent  bring 
his  fox  to  hand  in  from  half  an  hour  to  five  and  forty 
minutes.  Having  accomplished  that,  he  could  go  and 
find  another.  It  was  on  those  occasions  the  Squire 
shone  conspicuously.  It  was  his  maxim  to  kill  his  fox 
expeditiously.  When  his  hounds  came  to  a  check  his 
cast  was  a  bold  one,  quick  and  decisive,  and  by  this 


94  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

means  he  either  hit  the  scent  again  immediately  or  lost 
his  fox.  Slow  hunting  runs  after  foxes  that  had  gained 
a  great  advantage  would  not  have  been  satisfactory^  to 
one  in  fifty  of  the  field,  or  the  master  himself.  Many 
who  frequent  Leicestershire  care  very  little  about 
hunting;  it  is  the  pace  they  admire,  and  if  hounds 
cannot  go  sufficiently  fast  to  get  away  from  the  horses 
they  are  sure  to  be  ridden  over.  When  merely  going 
from  one  covert  to  another  Mr.  Osbaldeston  would  pro- 
ceed as  fast  or  faster  than  hounds  in  the  provincial 
countries  generally  go  through  their  hunting  runs.  All 
this  suited  the  tastes  of  the  men  of  the  day,  and  it  was 
evident  he  could  not  fail  to  be  popular.  It  was  vastly 
amusing  when  the  hounds,  with  a  good  scent  and  the 
assistance  of  a  brook  or  some  rasping  fence  got  a 
field  or  two  ahead  of  the  first  flight,  to  hear  the  Squire 
call  out  in  ecstasies,  "Now  ride  ;  why  the  devil 
don't  you  ride  over  them  now?"  Perhaps  it  was  bad 
policy,  because  it  excited  many  thoughtless  men  to 
override  his  hounds,  when  they  had  opportunities  of 
doing  so,  out  of  bravado ;  but  I  can  always  enter  into 
the  enthusiastic  delight  of  a  master  of  hounds  when  he 
beholds  his  darlings  beating  the  horses. 

The  next  in  succession  was  Lord  Southampton,  who 
took  the  country^  in  1827  or  1828,  at  which  time  Mr. 
Osbaldeston  removed  his  establishment  into  North- 
amptonshire. Not  having  hunted  in  Leicestershire 
during  his  lordship's  occupation  of  it  I  am  unable  to 
give  any  account  from  personal  observation ;  but  it  was 
unanimously  acknowledged  that  Lord  Southampton's 
anxious  desire  to  promote  sport  could  not  be  exceeded 
by  any  other  master  of  hounds  before  or  since.  The 
two  first  seasons  the  hounds  were  hunted  by  Dick 
Burton,  who  lived  with  Mr.  T.  A.  Smith  during  his 
occupation  of  the  Quom  country,  and  likewise  at  one 
period  with  Mr.  Osbaldeston. 

What  pack  of  hounds  his  lordship  commenced  with 
I  cannot  ascertain,  unless  (which  I  believe  to  have  been 
the  case)  he  purchased  some  from  the  latter  gentleman. 


THE   QUORN  95 

When  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  then  Marquis  of  Tavistock, 
gave  up  the  Oakley  country  to  the  Honourable  Grantley 
Berkeley  in  1829,  Lord  Southampton  purchased  the 
Oakley  hounds,  which  from  their  blood  were  in  high 
repute,  combining  much  of  the  old  P>i:chley  and 
Badminton  sort,  and  engaged  George  Mountford  to 
accompany  them  as  huntsman,  with  George  Beers  to 
whip-in.  About  this  time  new  kennels  were  built  at 
Leicester,  and  the  hounds  were  removed  to  them,  and 
instead  of  being  called  the  Quorn  as  heretofore,  they 
were  called  Lord  Southampton's  hounds,  in  conse- 
quence of  which  it  wasi  generally  apprehended  by  those 
whose  fond  remembrances  associated  with  '  days  of 
auld  lang  syne,'  that  the  quondam  glories  of  the  Quorn 
would  be  lost.  Still  the  country  was  unaltered,  and 
the  hounds  afforded  first-rate  sport. 

In  1831  Lord  Southampton  found  a  successor  in  Sir 
Harry  Goodricke,  Bart.,  who  undertook  to  hunt  the 
country  without  any  subscription,  and  payed  covert 
rents,  earth-stoppings,  and  even  damages,  with  a 
liberal  hand.  They  were  now  called  Sir  Harry  Good- 
ricke's  hounds;  and  another  removal  of  the  kennels 
took  place.  Leicester  was  certainly  not  a  central  situ- 
ation, whatever  other  advantages  it  might  have  pos- 
sessed ;  to  obviate  which  Sir  Harry  built  new  kennels 
at  Thrussington,  nearly  mid-way  between  Melton  and 
Leicester;  a  more  convenient  spot  could  not  be 
selected.  Mountford  continued  with  the  hounds  as 
before,  when  either  illness  or  an  accident  prevented 
him  from  performing  his  duties  in  the  field,  his 
place  was  supplied  by  William  Derry.  At  the  con- 
clusion  of  the  first  season  Sir  Harry  had  an  opportunity 
of  making  an  addition  to  his  pack  by  the  purchase  of 
Mr.  Shaw's  hounds ;  that  gentleman  giving  up  the 
country  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Lichfield  and  Sutton 
Coldfield,  in  consequence  of  deficiency  of  foxes. 

During  the  short  period  Sir  Harry  was  destined  to 
preside  over  the  hunting  arrangements  of  Leicester- 
shire, his  liberal  disposition,  kindness  of  manners,  and 


96  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

sporting  talent  gained  for  him  the  highest  respect,  I 
may  say  affection  and  adoration ;  but  unhappily  he 
was  cut  off  in  the  prime  of  life  when  sojourning  at  his 
seat  Ravensdale  Park,  in  the  county  of  Louth,  in 
Ireland,  on  the  twenty-second  of  August,  1833,  in  the 
thirty-seventh  year  of  his  age.  I  was  given  to  under- 
stand by  some  of  his  aequaintances-  that  a  short  time 
previous  to  his  death  he  had  been  amusing  himself 
otterhunting,  and  at  all  times  regardless!  of  weather, 
had  taken  a  severe  cold,  the  shock  from  which  his  con- 
stitution was  unable  to  withstand.  To  the  astonishment 
of  everybody,  and,  I  believe,  not  less  so  to  his  for- 
tunate successor,  he  left  all  his  unentailed  property  to 
his  friend,  Mr.  Francis  Littleton  Holyoake,  a  gentle- 
man who  had  been  well  known  in  Leicestershire  as  one 
of  the  best,  if  not  the  best  man  over  a  country  of  his 
time.  He  was  the  eldest  son  of  Mr.  Francis  Holyoake 
of  Tettenhall,  Staffordshire,  a  great  friend  and  contem- 
porary of  Mr.  Corbet's,  and  a  member  of  the  Stratford 
Hinit  Club,  when  Warwickshire  first  became 
distinguished  in  the  annals  of  fox-hunting. 

Leicestershire  now  came  into  the  possession  of  Mr. 
Holyoake  as  it  were  by  inheritance,  together  with  the 
horses  and  hounds.  A  part  of  it  was  very  soon  after- 
wards separated  for  the  purpose  of  the  Marquis  of 
Hastings  establishing  a  pack  of  hounds  to  hunt  that 
which  has  subsequently  been  called  the  Donnington 
country ;  an  example  which  has  been  followed  in  other 
parts  with  manifest  advantage.  As  foxes  have  become 
more  numerous,  the  preservation  of  them  more  care- 
fully considered,  a  given  tract  of  country  is  capable  of 
affording  more  hunting  by  such  an  arrangement.  Mr. 
Meynell  only  hunted  three  days  in  the  week  over  a 
greater  extent  of  country  than  the  Quorn  was  prior  to 
the  separation  of  the  Donnington.  The  former  now 
affords  five  or  six  days  in  the  week,  the  latter  three ; 
thus  eight  or  nine  days*  hunting  is  obtained  where,  in 
olden  times  they  could  only  enjoy  three. 

Shortly  after  coming  into   possession  of  the  property 


LORD    SUFFIELD  97 

Mr.  Holyoake  took  the  name  of  Goodricke,  and  was 
subsequently  made  a  baronet.  No  material  alterations 
were  made  in  the  hunting  establishment,  except  such 
additions  of  horses  and  hounds  as  circumstances 
required ;  and  after  two  seasons  of  remarkably  good 
sport,  the  management  was  taken  by  Mr.  Errington, 
who  kept  them  till  the  spring  of  1838,  when  the  late 
Lord  Suffield  came  forward,  and  supplying  a  lavish 
expenditure  of  money  his  lordship  was  expected  to 
eclipse  every  former  master  of  hounds  in  this  aristo- 
cratic atmosphere. 

How  frequently  are  human  expectations  disappointed 
— unfortuitous,  unexpected  events  frustrate  our  hopes ; 
for  there  is  luck,  whether  it  be  good  or  bad,  attendant 
upon  fox-hunting  as  well  as  upon  other  mundane 
affairs.  The  weather,  for  example,  has  great  influence, 
and  as  first  impressions  carry  great  weight  in  public 
opinion,  if  a  new  aspirant  to  the  honours  of  being 
a  master  of  hounds  is  fortunate  enough  to  have  a  good 
scenting  season,  which  enables  him  to  show  great  sport, 
to  begin  with,  his  fame  is  established ;  if,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  prevailing  condition  of  the  elements  is  such 
that  there  are  very  few  scenting  days,  all  the  misadven- 
tures are  ascribed  to  want  of  experience  and  bad 
management. 

This  was  in  some  measure  the  case  during  Lord 
Suffield's  short  reign  in  Leicestershire.  No  man  could 
possibly  have  been  more  anxious  to  show  sport  than 
his  lordship ;  but  unpropitious  circumstances  appeared 
at  the  commencement  and  did  not  quite  clear  off 
afterwards.  Desirous  to  procure  the  most  efficient  and 
valuable  pack  of  hounds  in  the  market,  Lord  Suffield 
applied  to  Mr.  Lambton  and  received  a  partial  refusal 
of  that  gentleman's  pack  at  the  previously  unparalleled 
price  of  3,000  guineas.  In  the  interim,  the  sale  of  them 
was  contracted  by  two  friends  of  Mr.  Lambton's  to 
Sir  Matthew  White  Ridley  for  2,500  guineas,  and  they 
were  actually  paid  for  and  in  his  possession,  and  the 
servants  who  had  been  for  many  years  with  these 
G 


98  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

hounds  were  also  engaged.  There  was  a  question 
whether  the  friends  of  Mr.  Lambton  were  quite  in 
position  to  contract  the  bargain,  but  in  this  dilemma 
Sir  Matthew  most  honourably  prevented  all  cavil  by- 
giving  up  the  claim  to  his  lordship ;  at  the  same  time 
retaining  the  servants  to  officiate  with  the  hounds  he 
then  had  in  his  possession;  he  also  purchased  those 
with  which  Lord  Galway  had  been  hunting  the  Rufford 
country  the  preceding  season.  So  far,  matters  appeared 
to  have  taken  a  favourable  turn,  but  with  a  strange 
huntsman,  fresh  whippers-in,  and  a  new  kennel-man, 
all  of  whom  were  perfectly  unacquainted  with  the 
hounds,  their  qualifications,  properties,  habits,  dis- 
positions, and  constitutions,  in  a  fresh  country  totally 
different  from  the  one  in  which  they  had  been  ac- 
customed to  hunt,  where  they  were  seldom,  if  ever, 
pressed  upon  by  hard-riding  men,  or  even  molested  by 
crowds  of  horsemen,  and  with  these  inconveniences 
having  to  encounter  a  vast  deal  of  very  changeable 
weather,  at  all  times  adverse  to  scent,  it  is  not  wonder- 
ful that  their  sport  was  far  from  brilliant.  At  this 
period  another  change  took  place  in  the  locality  of  the 
kennels ;  Lord  Suffield  erected  new  ones,  with  stabling 
and  all  other  requisites,  in  the  village  of  Bildestone. 
They  were  only  occupied  by  his  lordship  one  year,  when 
the  hounds  were  sold  to  Mr.  Robertson,  to  hunt  the 
adjoining  country  to  Sir  M.  W.  Ridley's. 

In  November  1839  Mr.  Hodgson  was  hunting  Leices- 
tershire with  a  clever  pack  of  hounds  exhibiting  great 
power,  which  he  brought  with  him  from  the  Holdemess 
country.  This  gentleman  likewise  brought  with  him 
the  reputation  of  being  a  first-rate  sportsman,  but  his 
style  of  hunting  differed  materially  from  that  of  Mr. 
Osbaldeston.  Although  he  did  not  hunt  his  hounds 
himself,  as  he  had  done  when  at  Beverley,  he  liked  to 
see  them  work  up  to  their  fox — an  accomplishment 
which  I  feel  assured  can  never  be  realised  in  this  country 
as  a  general  practice  till  every  field  is  surrounded  by 
a  nine  feet  brick  wall,  or  some  other  equally  impractic- 


TOM    HODGSON  99 

able  barrier,  which  will  effectually  prevent  the  horsemen 
from  pressing  upon  hounds.  I  hunted  with  them  several 
times  after  the  Christmas  of  their  first  season,  and  was 
particularly  struck  with  Mr.  Hodgson's  conciliatory 
manner  with  his  field.  On  one  occasion  the  hounds  were 
running  their  fox  in  a  plantation  near  Beau  Manor  ; 
there  was  a  green  ride  near  the  side  of  the  covert, 
in  which  was  the  greater  portion  of  the  field  and 
into  which  the  hounds  brought  the  scent — a  very 
ticklish  one — just  in  front  of  the  leading  horseman. 
They  carried  it  on  along  the  side  some  trifling  distance 
to  where  there  was  a  gateway  leading  short  out  of  the 
covert,  and  to  a  sportsman  attentive  to  the  working  of 
the  hounds  it  was  quite  probable  the  fox  had  turned 
through  the  gate,  therefore  pressing  on  them  at  that 
crisis  might  have  occasioned  a  check.  Very  fortunately 
the  leading  man  observed  it,  and  pulling  up  his  horse 
held  up  his  hand,  as  a  caution  to  those  who  were  close 
to  him,  which  had  the  good  effect  of  inducing  them  to 
slacken  their  pace.  The  hounds,  having  room,  turned 
the  scent  beautifully,  and  Mr.  Hodgson  riding  up  to 
the  gentleman  who  had  evinced  so  much  care  thanked 
him  for  having  done  so.  Such  courteous  bearing  on 
the  part  of  a  master  of  hounds  has  a  great  effect  in 
keeping  a  field  in  order.  Mr.  Hodgson  adopted  a  pecu- 
liarity of  costume  when  in  Leicestershire  as  a  master  of 
hounds  by  wearing  a  brown  instead  of  a  scarlet  coat. 
This  he  was  said  to  have  chosen  because,  having  hunted 
his  hounds  in  person  when  in  the  Holderness  country, 
they  should  not  recognise  their  former  huntsman  when 
that  trust  was  deputed  to  another. 

Mr.  Hodgson  only  continued  in  the  country  two 
seasons,  and  on  his  retirement  it  was  taken  by  Mr. 
Greene,  of  RoUestone,  whose  popularity  and  influence 
rendered  him  in  every  respect  admirably  calculated  to 
occupy  the  ostensible  and  honourable  distinction ;  he 
was  the  first  country  gentleman  who  ever  had  these 
hounds,  and  under  his  management  everything  was 
conducted  with  the  utmost  satisfaction.       But  within 


100  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

the  present  century  this  far-famed  land  of  fox-hunting 
has  been  destined  to  undergo  numerous  changes  of 
masters;  events  sadly  opposed  to  the  success  of  the 
chase.  However  talented,  however  wealthy,  however 
gifted  with  all  the  accomplishments  and  the  various 
desiderata  to  render  a  new  master  of  hounds  unexcep- 
tionally  eligible,  the  fact  of  a  change  is  a  serious  im- 
pediment to  the  advancement  of  the  noble  science  in 
any  country.  There  are  so  many  minor  details 
influenced  by  changes  that  in  the  aggregate  they 
become  important.  No  less  than  fourteen  different 
masters  of  hounds  have  presided  during  the  time  I 
have  named,  and  fifteen  changes  have  taken  place,  Mr. 
Osbaldeston  having  been  twice  the  occupier  of  the 
Quom  establishment. 

In  1847  Sir  Richard  Sutton,  whose  celebrity  had  been 
established  in  the  Burton  and  Cottesmore  countries, 
removed  his  hounds  from  the  latter  to  the  Quom 
kennels,  again  restoring  the  title  which  had  been  in 
abeyance  for  several  years.  The  Donnington  country 
becoming  vacant  in  1851,  Sir  Richard  Sutton  under- 
took to  hunt  it ;  so  that  the  Quorn  country  may  be  said 
to  have  regained  its  original  extent. 

That  the  surface  of  Leicestershire  is  most  materially 
altered  no  doubt  can  exist ;  nor  can  those  changes  fail 
to  have  had  great  influence  over  fox-hunting.  Since 
Mr.  Meynell  commenced,  a  considerable  extent  has  been 
enclosed,  and  consequently  the  nature  of  the  soil  is 
greatly  altered  by  cultivation  and  agricultural  improve- 
ments. A  great  increase  in  the  quantity  of  stock,  both 
cattle  and  sheep,  has  followed,  which  cannot  fail  to 
present  difficulties  to  hounds  and  huntsmen.  Mr. 
Lockley  was  wont  to  speak  of  the  numbers  of  double 
posts  and  rails  in  many  parts,  which  in  Mr.  Meynell 's 
time  had  been  recently  enclosed.  While  they  offered 
scarcely  any  impediment  to  hounds,  they  were  often 
serious  ones  to  horses.  To  go  in  and  out  cleverly  was 
an  accomplishment  of  some  importance.  At  the  distance 
the  posts  and  rails  were  frequently  placed,  there  was 


LEICESTERSHIRE    FENCES  101 

scarcely  room  for  a  horse  to  land  between  them  ;  it  was 
therefore  necessary  to  take  them  obliquely,  which  was 
an  inducement  to  many  horses  to  refuse,  and  which 
thej^  would  do,  unless  the  riders  were  gifted  with  super- 
latively good  hands  and  their  horses  with  delicate 
mouths.  Clearing  both  flights  at  once  was  in  many 
instances  impracticable  in  consequence  of  their  height 
and  width.  Some  of  these  fences  were  remaining  in 
1826,  and  the  worst  fall  I  ever  experienced  was  at  one 
of  them.  I  was  riding  a  very  resolute  horse,  and  put 
him  at  the  rails  slowly,  to  induce  him  to  jump  in  and 
out,  but  he  attempted  to  fly  them  at  one  effort,  conse- 
quently he  fell  on  the  second  rail,  and,  rolling  over  me, 
I  was  very  nearly  crushed.  The  principal  timber  fences 
now  to  be  encountered,  exclusive  of  gates,  are  in  the 
gaps  or  weak  parts  of  the  hedges,  placed  there  to  pro- 
tect the  quick ;  and  the  bullfinches,  although  many  of 
them  are  strong,  especially  in  the  Harborough  side,  are 
not  to  be  compared  with  those  in  the  Pytchley  country. 
Most  of  the  quickset  fences  are  placed  on  the  ground ; 
therefore  those  difficulties  which  proceed  from  false  or 
rotten  banks  in  many  other  countries  are  not  met  with 
here.  The  ox-fences,  as  they  are  termed,  consist  of  a 
ditch,  quickset-hedge,  and  a  flight  of  posts  and  rails, 
which  must  be  cleared  in  the  stride,  to  do  which 
requires  resolution  in  both  horse  and  rider;  and  when 
the  rails  happen  to  be  on  the  furthest  side,  a  fall  is  a 
frequent  result.  The  strong  thorn  fences  which  abound 
require  horses  of  great  courage ;  and  good  water  jumpers 
are  indispensable,  for  the  brooks  are  numerous,  and 
many  of  them  wide.  The  Whissendine  and  the  Smite 
are  names  known  to  many  by  report  who  are  strangers 
in  the  country,  and  are  not  unfrequently  fathomed  by 
those  who  enjoy  their  venatic  pastime  in  this  aristo- 
cratic shire.  There  are  numerous  others  of  minor 
importance,  and  some  which  come  under  the  denomina- 
tion of  rivers  ;  they  are  of  course  not  negotiable. 
Fortunately,  however,  hounds  do  not  very  often  cross 
them  ;  thev  are  not  in  the  run  of  the  foxes. 


102  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

Ridge  and  furrow  prevail  so  extensively  in  this  country 
that  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  go  into  a  field  which  has 
not  been  laid  in  that  form.  When  they  are  to  be  crossed 
they  are  distressing  to  horses,  and  as  they  vary  con- 
siderably both  in  width  and  height  it  is  desirable  very 
frequently  to  take  them  in  an  oblique  direction  to 
accommodate  the  horse's  stride.  This  will  make  a  vast 
difference  in  the  animal's  capability  of  endurance,  and 
especially  with  those  which  have  not  been  accustomed 
to  it.  Some  of  the  furrows  are  very  deep,  and  in  wet 
weather  horse's  feet  will  often  cut  in  over  the  fetlocks, 
if  they  happen  to  step  in  the  furrows.  To  obviate  this, 
horses  require  to  be  nicely  held  together  and  ridden  in 
such  a  direction  that  their  feet  will  not  fall  in  the 
deepest  part  of  the  furrows;  which,  independently  of 
causing  horses  to  tire  very  soon,  is  apt  to  make  them 
hit  their  legs  and  produce  over-reaches. 

An  anecdote  is  told  of  Dick  Knight,  a  very  celebrated 
huntsman  to  the  Pytchley  hounds  during  the  time 
the  late  Earl  Spencer  was  the  master.  It  must  be 
observed  that  Dick  considered  everything  perfectly 
unconstitutional  which  in  any  way  interfered  with 
hunting.  With  a  dolorous  countenance  he  addressed 
the  earl,  "It's  all  over  with  the  country,  my  Lord!" 
"What  now?"  inquired  Lord  Spencer.  "Oh  those 
d — d  canals  they  are  cutting  must  ruin  it,  my  Lord ; 
there  will  be  no  getting  across  it  after  hounds."  Now 
had  this  zealous  huntsman  lived  at  the  time  railways 
were  projected,  he  would  most  assuredly  have  joined 
in  the  cry  against  them ;  for  it  was  generally  expected 
that  they  would  become  such  positive  impediments  as 
to  annihilate  fox-hunting  entirely.  In  this,  as  in  all 
other  matters,  experience  is  the  most  certain  guide, 
and  railways  do  not  present  those  obstacles  which  were 
anticipated.  Indeed,  canals  may  be  considered  more 
opposed  to  fox-hunting  than  railways,  without  pre- 
senting any  of  the  accommodations  which  are  derived 
from  the  latter.  The  surface  of  Leicestershire  has  been 
extensively     marked     with     railways.       The     Midland 


BOUNDARIES  OF   THE   QUORN  103 

Counties  intersects  the  Quorn  country  nearly  midway, 
passing  from  Leicester  to  Melton,  with  a  branch  from 
Syston  Junction  to  Loughborough  and  Derby.  The 
Leicester  and  Swannington  branch  affords  communi- 
cation with  the  south-western  portion  of  the  hunt,  and 
the  Donnington  country  is  equally  provided  for.  As 
evidence  of  the  accommodation  which  railways  afford, 
on  the  16th  of  January  1852  Sir  Richard  Sutton,  accom- 
panied by  Lord  Cardigan,  came  to  meet  the  hounds  at 
Wymeswold  from  the  baronet's  seat  in  Norfolk,  where 
they  had  been  on  a  shooting  excursion  the  previous 
day,  and  after  enjoying  a  night's  rest  in  the  land  of 
turnips,  barley,  and  birds,  were  not  fifteen  minutes 
behind  time  in  the  land  of  grass,  ox-fences,  and  foxes. 

The  Quorn  country,  according  to  the  arrangements 
made  for  its  division  from  the  Donnington,  extends 
from  Widmerpool  to  Gumley ;  Bunny,  which  is  beyond 
Widmerpool  in  a  northerly  direction,  being  neutral. 
Great  Dalby  is  on  the  eastern  point,  where  it  is  bordered 
by  the  Cottesmore,  and  on  the  north-eastern  by  the 
Duke  of  Rutland's.  The  Pytchley  claim  the  country 
on  the  south-east,  and  the  Atherstone  on  the  south- 
west and  west.  The  Donnington  country  intervenes 
between  the  Quorn  and  Mr.  MejTiell  Ingram's  Hunt. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  SHIRES 

By  comparison  we  are  enabled  to  decide  upon  the 
merits  which  one  hunting  country  p>ossesses  over 
another ;  but  in  making  those  comparisons,  many  minor 
details  must  be  brought  forward  before  we  can  arrive 
at  a  fair  conclusion,  and  these  details  can  only  be 
appreciated  by  persons  who  have  had  practical  experi- 
ence in  them. 

The  Quorn  country  is  generally  acknowledged  to 
have  assumed  a  preference  over  all  others ;  perhaps  that 
may  have  originated,  in  some  degree,  in  consequence  of 
the  importance  with  which  Mr.  Meynell's  brilliant 
career  adorned  it.  With  such  a  fortuitous  commence- 
ment as  an  introduction,  at  a  period  when  '  the  noble 
science '  was  in  its  infancy,  and  not  conducted  with 
much  form  or  system,  it  is  not  surprising  that  this  high 
character  should  have  been  established.  Melton 
Mowbray  at  an  early  period  became  the  favoured  resort 
of  aristocratic  fashionable  fox-hunters.  No  other  hunt 
was  equally  fortunate,  and,  as  a  nucleus  of  wealth,  it 
has  given  every  encouragement  to  render  Leicester- 
shire perfect. 

Next  in  superiority  the  Pytchley  Hunt  was  by  many 
ranked ;  but  with  all  the  advantages  which  Leicester- 
shire presents,  it  is  doubtful  whether  Northamptonshire 
is  not  equally  deserving  of  fame.  No  one  can  be  more 
capable  of  judging  on  this  point  than  Mr.  Osbaldeston, 
as  he  hunted  both  countries,  and  has  been  known  to 
declare  hisi  opinion  in  favour  of  the  Pytchley.  Without 
desiring  to  detract  from  the  one  at  the  expense  of  the 
other,  or  to    create   any  jealousy  in    the  minds    of  the 


THE   PYTCHLEY  105 

partisans  of  either,  it  is  but  just  to  place  them  on  an 
equality,  or,  in  kennel  phrase,  '  couple  '  them  together. 
Whoever  has  ridden  over  the  grassy  plains  of  North- 
amptonshire cannot  fail  to  be  delighted  with  the  pre- 
vailing nature  of  the  pasture  lands.  The  fences  in  both 
countries  are  similar,  except  that  those  in  the  Pytchley 
Hunt  are  the  stronger  of  the  two.  Brooks  are  nearly 
equivalent.  The  coverts  are  in  each  unexceptionable ; 
giving  the  preference  to  Northamptonshire  for  wood- 
lands of  inestimable  value  in  the  opinion  of  masters  of 
hounds. 

Unfortunately  the  Pytchley  country  has  been  destined 
to  change  hands  very  frequently.  Prior  to  1799  the 
country  was  hunted  by  the  late  Earl  Spencer,  but  the 
precise  number  of  seasons  his  lordship  continued  I  am 
not  in  a  position  to  state,  but  it  was  certainly  as  long 
back  as  1779.  At  the  close  of  the  last  century  and  the 
commencement  of  the  present  the  justly  celebrated  Mr. 
John  Warde  was  huntmg  it ;  he  was  succeeded  by  Lord 
Al thorp  in  1808 ;  and  Sir  Chajles  Knightley  entered,  in 
conjunction  with  his  lordship,  during  a  few  seasons.  In 
1820  Sir  Bellingham  Graham  had  the  management,  but 
only  retained  it  one  season.  Mr.  Musters  also  had  the 
hounds,  though  not  long.  In  1828  Mr.  Osbaldeston 
made  his  entree,  and  hunted  the  country  with  unparal- 
leled success  till  the  spring  of  1834,  when  Mr.  Wilkins, 
of  Maeslough,  undertook  the  responsibilities,  but,  like 
Sir  Bellingham  Graham,  did  not  continue  more  than 
one  season.  In  1835  Mr.  George  Payne  had  them,  with 
a  liberal  subscription  from  his  brother-in-law  Sir 
Francis  Holyoake  Goodricke,  who  took  the  principal 
responsibility  after  his  resignation  of  the  Quorn. 

Lord  Chesterfield  took  the  country  in  1838,  and 
hunted  it  in  magnificent  style  about  three  seasons, 
attracting  a  numerous  coterie  of  aristocratic  fashion- 
ables. In  1841  Mr.  Smith  was  also  on  the  list ;  and, 
subsequently,  Mr.  George  Payne  a  second  time ; 
indeed  the  latter  gentleman  appears  to  have  been 
ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand  on  all  occasions  when  the 


106  RECORDS    OF    THE   CHASE 

interests  of  his  country  required  his  assistance,  and 
highly  must  his  services  be  appreciated  by  his  friends 
and  neighbours.  If  any  proofs  were  wanting  of  the 
esteem  in  which  many  gentlemen  are  held  who  have 
zealously  devoted  their  time  and  talents  to  fox-hunting, 
they  would  be  found  in  those  gratifying  testimonials 
which  are  frequently  presented  to  them.  However 
complimentary  and  flattering  such  offerings  may  have 
been  on  other  occasions,  none  could  have  exceeded  that 
which  was  proffered  to  Mr.  George  Payne  on  the  last 
day  of  March,  1846.  Between  three  and  four  hundred 
of  the  nobility,  landlords,  farmers,  and  others,  all 
good  men  and  true  to  the  noble  cause,  connected  with 
the  Pytchley  Hunt,  assembled  at  the  festive  board  to 
request  Mr.  Payne's  acceptance  of  a  piece  of  plate, 
designed  for  the  purpose  of  a  candelabra  and  epergne, 
standing  three  feet  six  inches  in  height,  and  weighing 
six  hundred  ounces,  upon  which  was  the  following 
inscription  :  "  Presented  to  George  Payne,  Esq.,  Sulby 
Hall,  by  upwards  of  six  hundred  farmers,  tradesmen, 
and  others,  of  Northamptonshire,  as  a  testimonial  of 
their  gratitude  for  his  unceasing  efforts  to  promote  the 
manly  and  healthful  sports  of  the  county.  March, 
1846." 

The  late  Lord  Alford  hunted  the  country  with  great 
spirit,  liberality,  and  success,  and  kept  the  hounds  on 
a  whole  season  after  declining  health  prevented  his 
lordship  participating  in  the  sport.  The  Hon.  F.  Villiers 
succeeded  his  lordship  in  1851,  and  the  following  year 
resigned  to  Lord  Hopetoun,  under  whose  management 
they  cannot  fail  to  maintain  the  distinction  for  which 
they  have  been  so  justly  celebrated. 

The  Pytchley  country  is  surrounded  by  the  Quorn  ; 
the  Cottesmore,  Earl  Fitzwilliam's  ;  the  Oakley,  Lord 
Southampton's  ;  the  Warwickshire,  and  the  Atherstone 
Hunts. 

Comprising  a  portion  of  Leicestershire,  about  an 
equal  extent  in  Warwickshire,  and  an  angle  of  Stafford- 
shire, is  the  Atherstone  country,  very  little  inferior  to 


THE    ATHERSTONE  107 

the  Quom  ;  indeed  that  part  which  is  in  the  county  of 
Leicester  is  quite  equal  to  any  in  the  kingdom.  He 
must  be  fastidious  who  cannot  be  pleased  with  the 
country  from  Burbage  Wood,  Peckelton,  Bos  worth, 
Osbaston,  Sutton  Ambion,  Normanton  Gate,  Ullesthorpe 
(a  railway  station),  Newnham,  Churchover,  Coomb  Ab- 
bey, and  several  other  places  of  meeting  on  the  eastern 
boundries,  most  of  which  are  easy  of  access  from  London 
by  rail.  Ashby-de-la-Zouch  may  be  mentioned  as  the 
northern  extremity,  and  Coventry  the  southern.  Sutton 
Coldfield  and  Lichfield  are  on  the  west,  which  is  the 
most  indifferent  f>ortion  of  the  country.  This  is  the 
present  extent  of  the  district ;  to  reach  this  point  it  has 
undergone  numerous  changes  of  masters  and  boundaries, 
rather  perplexing  to  describe  in  consequence  of  its  having 
been  hunted  in  parts  by  so  many  different  persons 
before  it  became  identified  by  the  name  which  it  now 
bears. 

The  first  master  of  hounds  in  this  district  of  whom  I 
can  obtain  any  information  was  the  late  Marquis  of 
Donegal ;  but  the  exact  period  when  his  lordship 
hunted  the  country  I  am  not  able  to  state,  neither  can 
I  ascertain  the  extent;  suffice  it,  therefore,  to  say  that 
it  was  principally  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Lichfield 
and  Tam worth.  After  the  marquis  came  Lord  Talbot, 
of  Ligestre  Hall,  who  was  succeeded  about  the  close  of 
the  last  century  by  Lord  Vernon,  in  what  was  then 
called  the  Sudbury  country  but  which  now  forms  a  part 
of  Mr.  Meynell  Ingram's.  Lord  Talbot's  hounds  were 
sold  to  Mr.  Lambton  in  1793,  which  affords  some 
criterion  of  the  date  when  they  were  in  force. 

Lord  Vernon  hunted  a  considerable  extent  of  country 
around  Lichfield,  including  Cannock  Chase  (not  used 
in  the  present  day  as  a  hunting  district,  a  great  portion 
of  it  being  converted  into  coal  fields),  Black  Slough,  and 
Hop  was  Hayes.  To  this  the  country  near  Gopsal 
appears  to  have  been  added  by  Lord  Vernon,  where 
there  were  kennels ;  and  his  lordship  resided  at  Gopsal 
House  six  weeks  at   a  time,   alternately  with  his  own 


108  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

seat  at  Sudbury,  thus  dividing  the  hunting  season  in  the 
two  countries.  These  hounds  were  in  great  repute,  and 
esteemed  among  the  most  celebrated  of  the  day. 
Instead  of  wearing  the  prevailing  colour,  scarlet,  in  the 
hunting  field.  Lord  Vernon  and  the  members  of  the 
hunt  appeared  in  coats  of  a  bright  orange,  which,  so 
long  as  they  were  new  and  fresh,  must  have  presented 
a  very  gay  appearance.  The  distinction  of  costume 
occasioned  much  rivalry  between  the  members  of  this 
and  other  hunts  when  they  happened  to  meet  in  the 
field.     There  was  jealous  riding  even  in  those  days. 

Matters  went  on  thus  for  several  seasons,  when  in  1805 
Lord  Vernon  gave  them  up  to  the  Hon.  George  Talbot, 
and  they  were  kept  by  subscription,  his  lordship  giving 
£500  per  annum,  which  was  liberally  augmented  by 
other  noblemen  and  gentlemen  in  the  neighbourhood, 
and  they  were  called  Lord  Talbot's  hounds,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  ostensible  manager  being  a  member  of 
the  Church.  That  gentleman's  death  in  1812  occasioned 
another  change,  when  some  of  the  hounds  were  sold, 
and  the  remainder  kept  at  Sudbury  a  short  time  by 
Mr.  Harbord,  Lord  Vernon's  son-in-law,  who  confined 
their  operations  to  the  immediate  locality  of  the 
kennels. 

At  this  period  the  late  Colonel  Cooke,  a  sportsman  of 
great  celebrity,  and  author  of  Observations  on  Fox- 
hunting, hunted  a  portion  of  that  which  was  not 
retained  by  the  Sudbury  hounds,  and  Mr.  Adderley,  of 
Hams  Hall,  hunted  the  Gopsal  side,  or  that  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Lichfield  and  Sutton  Coldfield,  but 
where  I  cannot  clearly  define.  The  late  Sir  Richard 
Pulestone  visited  the  vacant  district,  whichever  that 
was,  occasionally,  having  at  the  same  time  another 
country  in  Shropshire.  But  these  gentlemen  made  way 
for  Mr.  Osbaldeston.  Messrs.  Hall  and  Arkwright  also 
hunted  some  portion  of  it,  but  only  for  a  short  period : 
and,  as  they  sold  their  hounds  to  Mr.  Osbaldeston,  it 
must  have  been  prior  to  the  decease  of  Lord  Vernon, 
which  event  took  place  in  1818.   Mr.  Adderley,  of  Hams 


THE   SUDBURY  COUNTRY  109 

Hall,  kept  hounds,  and  also  Mr.  Otway,  of  Sandford 
Hall ;  but  the  precise  dates  and  districts  are  subjects 
which,  from  the  conflicting  accounts  with  which  I  have 
been  supplied,  lead  me  to  the  conclusion  that  they 
hunted  the  country  on  terms  of  mutual  accommodation, 
without  much  regard  to  the  punctilious  restraints  of 
modem  times.  In  fact  there  appears  to  have  been  at 
least  four  districts,  sometimes  blended,  at  others  separ- 
ated from  each  other  ;  the  Sudbury,  the  Gopsal,  the 
Lichfield,  and  the  Warwickshire. 

We  now  approach  a  period  when  the  arrangements 
for  hunting  the  country  assumed  a  greater  degree  of 
regularity ;  and  it  was  entered  upon  by  Mr.  Osbaldeston 
with  a  very  trifling  subscription.  It  wasi  now  for  the 
first  time  called  the  Atherstone  Hunt,  and  the  coverts 
around  Dunchurch  were  included.  This  took  place  in 
1814  or  1815.  A  club  was  formed,  and  with  funds 
supplied  by  the  members  the  kennels  and  stables  at 
Witherley  were  erected.  The  first  two  years  the 
Sudbury  country  was  hunted  by  Mr.  Osbaldeston,  and 
he  occupied  temporary  accommodation  at  the  Flitch  of 
Bacon,  Wichnor  Bridge.  In  addition  to  hounds  which 
he  brought  from  Nottinghamshire,  including  the  pack 
he  had  purchased  from  Lord  Monson,  he  likewise 
bought  those  with  which  Messrs.  Hall  and  Arkwright 
had  hunted  the  Sudbury  country  previously  to  his 
occupying  it.  After  a  short  time,  finding  the  foxes 
were  sufficiently  numerous,  Mr.  Osbaldeston  resigned 
the  Sudbury  country,  and  confined  himself  exclusively 
to  the  Atherstone,  which,  in  consequence  of  the  increased 
preservation  of  foxes,  afforded  excellent  sport  five  days 
in  a  week. 

In  1816  Mr.  Meynell,  who  has  since  added  the  name 
of  Ingram  on  the  acquisition  of  a  large  fortune,  came 
forward  and  established  the  Hoar  Cross  country,  com- 
prising the  Sudbury  and  Derbyshire  districts  with  that 
around  his  own  seat.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Ashbourne,  on  the  south  by  Lichfield,  which  takes  in 
Black    Slough,    Orgreave,    and    Catton ;    it    extends    to 


no  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

Radboume  Hall,  four  miles  from  Derby,  on  the  east, 
and  to  Blithfield,  siix,  and  Chartley  Park,  eight  miles 
from  Stafford,  on  the  west;  altogether  forming  a  very 
superior  country.  It  is  hunted  in  a  most  sportsman- 
like manner ;  for  this  gentleman  inherits  all  the  qualifica- 
tions of  his  celebrated  ancestor.  The  pack  with  which 
Mr.  Meynell  Ingram  commenced  hunting  consisted 
principally  of  the  hounds  from  Mr.  Talbot's  kennels, 
and  subsequently  procuring  others  from  Mr.  Heron, 
which  were  descended  from  the  old  Quom  blood,  with 
vast  pains  taken  and  superior  judgment  exercised  in 
breeding  during  a  period  of  thirty-seven  years,  they 
have  now  arrived  at  a  state  of  perfection  equal  to  any 
in  the  kingdom. 

From  1817,  when  Mr.  Osbaldeston  retired,  to  1820 
the  Atherstone  country  was  hunted  by  Sir  Bellingham 
Graham.  The  truly  sporting  character  of  the  honour- 
able baronet's  establishment  is  fresh  in  the  recollection 
of  those  who  are  old  enough  to  have  hunted  with  him. 
Both  hounds  and  horses  were  of  a  very  superior 
description.  As  a  huntsman  Sir  Bellingham  ranks 
among  the  first,  whether  amateur  or  professional ;  and 
he  was  always  attended  by  superior  servants.  William 
Staples,  Kit  Atkinson  (whose  son  now  hunts  the  Vale  of 
White  Horse  hounds),  John  Wigglesworth,  and  Thomas 
Flint,  were  each  of  them  in  the  baronet's  service, 
though  I  believe  not  all  of  them  in  the  Atherstone 
country'.  They  have,  however,  subsequently  occupied 
the  ostensible  post  of  huntsmen  in  various  establish- 
ments with  great  credit  to  themselves. 

Sir  Bellingham  Graham  commenced  hunting  the 
Atherstone  country  with  the  hounds  which  he  brought 
with  him  from  the  Badsworth,  which  he  had  occupied 
two  sea^sons  previously.  He  made  a  considerable 
augmentation  by  the  purchase  of  the  Worcestershire 
hounds  from  Colonel  NewTiham  in  1818,  when  that 
gentleman  resigned.  His  complement  was  kept  up  by 
drafts  from  Lord  Lonsdale's.  I  never  saw  Sir  Belling- 
ham's  hounds  till  he  took  the  countrj^  now  called  the 


A    CURIOUS   ACCIDENT  111 

Albrighton  in  1823,  by  which  time,  through  sales,  ex- 
changes, and  drafting,  few  if  any  could  have  remained 
of  those  with  which  he  hunted  the  Atherstone ;  but  I 
can  well  recollect  they  were  celebrated  for  their  great 
power  and  substance. 

When  Sir  Bellingham  Graham  quitted  this  country 
for  the  Quorn  in  December  1821,  Lord  Anson,  now 
Earl  of  Lichfield,  became  the  baronet's  successor;  this 
was  not  only  his  lordship's  commencement  as  a  master 
of  hounds  but  likewise  as  huntsman.  He  purchased  a 
lot  of  hounds  to  begin  with  from  Mr.  Mytton,  and  it 
was  a  scratch  pack  to  all  intents  and  purposes.  Sub- 
sequently his  lordship  procured  augmentations  from  the 
late  Sir  Thomas  Mostyn  and  Mr.  Musters,  which 
enabled  him  in  a  short  time  to  form  an  effective  pack. 
Considering  the  odds  and  ends  he  had  to  begin  with, 
the  highest  compliments  are  due  to  his  lordship's  talent 
and  energy,  especially  as  a  debutant.  Many  masters 
of  hounds,  with  a  superior  pack  ready  made  to  their 
hands,  have  spoilt  them  in  a  very  short  period.  It  was 
Lord  Lichfield's  task  to  make  a  good  pack  out  of  rough 
materials,  and  most  successful  was  the  issue.  In  this 
he  was  ably  assisted  by  Robert  Thurlow  and  Jesse,  two 
most  effective  whippers-in. 

These  men  had  the  misfortune  to  meet  with  a  most 
fearful  accident  on  Lichfield  race-course,  when  engaged 
clearing  the  ground  at  the  Anson  Hunt  Meeting  in  the 
year  1823  or  1824.  I  was  close  by  them,  and  witnessed 
it.  Riding  towards  each  other,  intent  upon  their  duty, 
and  each  of  them  going  at  three  parts  speed,  they  came 
in  furious  contact,  the  consequence  of  which  was  most 
dreadful  contusions.  By  the  force  with  which  they 
met,  Jesse  was  hurled  into  the  air;  Thurlow 's  leg  was 
fractured,  and  it  is  a  miracle  they  were  not  both  killed. 

The  hounds  purchased  from  Mr.  M>i:ton,  it  must  be 
observed,  were  well  bred ;  many  of  them  were  from  Sir 
Richard  Pulestone,  others  from  the  Bel  voir  and 
Cheshire  kennels ;  but  from  the  way  in  which  they  had 
been  managed   they   were    wild   and   uncertain.      The 


112  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

success  which  attended  Lord  Lichfield's  zeal  and  per- 
severance is  evidence  of  what  may  be  accomplisihed 
with  hounds  if  the  blood  is  good  from  which  they  are 
descended.  I  perfectly  well  remember  hunting  with 
Lord  Lichfield  in  the  beginning  of  1825,  and  have  vivid 
recollections  of  a  run  from  Odstone  late  in  the  day, 
on  which  occasion  Colonel  Wyndham,  of  the  Scots 
Greys,  a  very  heavy  weight,  distinguished  himself. 
The  hounds  found  in  the  wood,  and,  without  any 
pressing,  the  fox  broke  at  the  upper  end,  pointing 
straight  for  Chartley  Forest.  The  hounds  got  away  on 
very  good  terms  and  never  checked  till  they  arrived  at 
the  stone  walls  on  the  borders  of  the  forest,  where  they 
lost  him.  Colonel  Wyndham  took  the  lead  at  starting 
and  was  never  dispossessed  of  it.  There  were  only  six 
up  when  the  hounds  came  to  the  check,  among  whom 
were  the  noble  master  and  the  two  whippers-in. 

Lord  Lichfield  continued  to  hunt  the  country  nine 
seasons,  and  showed  unexceptionally  good  sport. 
Large  fields  were  attracted,  and  many  gentlemen  not 
connected  with  the  country  made  it  their  place  of 
winter  residence.  Like  Lord  Sefton,  Lord  Lichfield 
was  a  patron  of  '  the  ribbons,'  and  it  was  a  very  usual 
occurrence  to  see  his  lordship's  and  several  other  four- 
in-hand  teams  at  the  covert  side.  Mr.  Applethwaite's 
neat  turnout  of  greys,  which,  if  my  memory  serves  me 
correctly,  were  previously  the  property  of  Lord  Lich- 
field, never  failed  to  excite  admiration.  General  regret 
prevailed  when  it  was  known  that  his  lordship  was 
about  to  resign,  not  only  in  consequence  of  the  excel- 
lent sport  which  he  had  afforded,  his  kind,  affable,  and 
effective  management  in  the  field,  his  liberal  hospi- 
tality, and  all  the  other  qualifications  and  accomplish- 
ments which  adorn  an  English  nobleman ;  but  likewise 
from  the  ostensible  cause — indisposition.  Severe  and 
repeated  attacks  of  gout  compelled  Lord  Lichfield  to 
relinquish  the  sport  which  he  had  followed  with  so 
much  enthusiasm  and  success. 

When   his  lordship's    intention    to  resign   was  made 


SIR    JOHN   GERARD  113 

known,  Sir  John  Gerard,  with  a  long  purse  and  a 
liberal  heart,  offered  to  hunt  the  country  at  hia^own 
expense,  which  proposal  was  accepted ;  and  at  the 
commencement  of  the  season  1830  and  1831  Sir  John 
was  in  possession  of  the  hounds,  and  occupying  the 
kennels  and  stables  at  Witherley,  Thurlow  and  Jesse 
still  continuing  to  whip-in.  Little  if  any  alteration  was 
made  in  the  establishment,  wherein  Sir  John  evinced 
much  discretion  and  judgment.  The  horses  only  were 
changed,  and  those  which  were  provided  for  the  use  of 
the  men  were  superlatively  good.  Sir  John  Gerard 
essayed  to  hunt  the  hounds  himself,  but  was  not  so 
successful  as  his  predecessor.  It  is  an  accomplishment 
which  all  cannot  attain;  even  men  who  have  been 
brought  up  in  the  kennels  as  whippers-in,  and  in  that 
calling  have  been  eminently  successful,  have  in  some 
instances  failed  when  they  attempted  to  undertake  the 
duties  of  huntsmen. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  first  season  Sir  John  Gerard 
resigned  the  country  to  Mr.  Applethwaite,  together 
with  the  hounds.  Thurlow  then  assumed  the  post  of 
huntsman,  and  Jesse  took  the  place  of  first  whip.  A 
subscription  was  at  the  same  time  entered  into  for  the 
purpose  of  defraying  the  expenses.  Well  acquainted 
with  the  country  and  well  known  in  it,  and,  as  well  as 
he  was  known,  highly  respected,  no  gentleman  could 
have  been  selected  better  calculated  to  have  the 
management  of  the  Atherstone  hounds  than  Mr. 
Applethwaite.  He  interfered  but  little  with  the 
active  management  in  the  field,  but  presided  over  all 
with  the  kind  and  placid  demeanour  of  a  country 
gentleman.  One  of  the  most  substantial  proofs  of  the 
satisfaction  which  he  gave  exists  in  the  fact  that  he 
continued  to  be  master  of  these  hounds  for  a  longer 
period  than  any  other.  On  Mr.  Applethwaite 's  resig- 
nation he  was  succeeded  by  Captain  T.  A.  Thomson,  who 
still  retains  possession  of  the  country. 

In  former  days  there  wag  a  country  of  confined  extent 
in    the    neighbourhood    of    Shenstone,   on    the    western 

H 


114  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

boundaries  of  the  Atherstone,  at  one  period  hunted 
by  Mr.  Chadwicke,  and  subsequently  by  Mr.  Shaw,  but 
there  has  not  been  hounds  kept  in  it  during  the  last 
twenty  years.  This  tract  separates  the  Atherstone 
from  the  Albrighton  Hunt.  Mr.  Meynell  Ingram's 
country  is  on  the  north  of  the  Atherstone,  the  Quorn 
on  the  east,  and  Pytchley  joins  it  on  the  south  east  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Lutterworth,  and  the  Warwick- 
shire on  the  south,  with  which  there  are  some  neutral 
coverts. 

Ver}^  few  counties  have  attained  greater  importance 
than  Warwickshire,  and,  as  the  Quom  gained  its 
primitive  celebrity  under  Mr.  Meynell,  so  was  Mr. 
Corbet  the  founder  of  fox-hunting  renown  in  Warwick- 
shire. I  find  that  about  the  year  1790,  and  for  some 
few  years  previously,  Mr.  John  Warde  hunted  this 
country  in  conjunction  with  a  portion  of  Oxfordshire 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Bicester,  but  only  during  a 
part  of  the  season.  Mr.  Corbet  is  said  to  have  hunted 
the  country  about  twenty  seasons,  and  as  it  is  well 
known  that  he  gave  up  to  Lord  Middleton  in  1812,  the 
period  of  his  commencement  is  easily  determined. 

In  those  days  the  kennels  were  at  Stratford-on-Avon, 
and  there  was  a  club  upon  an  extensive  scale 
established,  although  both  Mr.  Corbet  and  his  successor. 
Lord  Middleton,  hunted  the  country  without  any  sub- 
scription. The  name  of  Will  Barrow  is  well  known  in 
Warwickshire  and  Shropshire,  as  he  was  born  and  died 
in  the  latter  country,  and  during  the  whole  of  the  time 
Mr.  Corbet  hunted  the  former,  he  was  the  huntsman. 
This  poor  fellow's  end  was  a  melancholy  one  ;  after 
escaping  all  the  perils  of  fox-hunting  he  met  with  his 
death  in  consequence  of  a  fall  with  the  harriers  kept  at 
Sundorne  by  Mr.  Corbet,  the  son  of  his  first  master. 

The  Warwickshire  country  was  originally  very  ex- 
tensive, but,  like  all  others,  it  has  been  reduced  and 
divided  to  suit  the  convenience  of  masters  of  hounds 
and  resident  sportsmen.  At  the  time  Mr.  Corbet  occu- 
pied it,  exclusive  of  the  principal  kennels  at  Stratford- 


LEAMINGTON  115 

on- Avon,  he  had  others  at  Meriden,  between  Coventry 
and  Coleshill,  for  the  purpose  of  hunting  the  neigh- 
bouring coverts,  in  those  days  known  as  the  Warwick- 
shire Woodlands.  The  coverts  near  Dunchurch  have 
at  times  been  hunted  by  the  Warwickshire  hounds, 
sometimes  by  the  Atherstone,  at  others  by  the 
Pytchley. 

From  Mr.  Corbet  this  country  passed  to  Lord 
Middleton,  who  hunted  it  ten  seasons,  showing  great 
sport  ;  but  I  doubt  whether  his  lordship's  general 
arrangements  were  highly  appreciated.  The  celebrated 
John  Wood  was  huntsman  during  the  greater  portion 
if  not  the  whole  of  the  time.  In  1822  Lord  Middleton 
had  the  misfortune  to  receive  a  fall  from  one  of  his 
horses  which  shook  his  lordship  considerably  and  in- 
duced him  to  give  up  hunting  for  a  time ;  upon  which 
Mr.  Shirley  of  Eatington  Hall  came  forward  and  under- 
took the  management  of  the  hounds  till  some  other 
gentleman  could  be  found  ambitious  of  distinction. 
After  keeping  them  two  seasons,  Mr.  Hay  of  Dunse 
Castle  in  Scotland  succeeded.  During  three  or  four 
seasons  this  gentleman  had  been  hunting  the  Woore 
country"  in  Staffordshire ;  therefore  he  was  no  novice 
when  he  entered  upon  Warwickshire,  and  he  undertook 
the  duties  of  huntsman  himself,  with  William  Boxall 
as  first  whip. 

By  this  time,  Leamington  was  beginning  to  assume 
some  importance.  The  first  time  I  hunted  in  Warwick- 
shire was  during  the  period  when  Mr.  Shirley  had  the 
hounds.  In  those  days  the  only  hotel  affording  toler- 
able accommodation  was  Copps's,  and  that  was  com- 
paratively a  cottage.  This  country  had  no  doubt  under- 
gone considerable  changes  since  the  palmy  days  of  Mr. 
Corbet.  The  plough  had  been  introduced  extensively, 
and  at  the  present  time  it  is  still  more  generally  used. 

About  twenty  years  ago  it  was  declared  in  moments 
of  exultation  by  a  few  sanguine  friends  of  Leamington, 
that  the  hunting  attractions  in  that  place  would  be  so 
powerful  as  totally  to  eclipse  Melton.     That,  however. 


lie  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

has  not  yet  come  to  pass,  and  many  very  great  changes 
must  take  place  before  it  does.  There  are  doubtless 
many  accommodations  to  be  met  with  in  a  large  town, 
which  Leamington  has  now  become.  Family  men  may 
find  it  suit  their  convenience  to  make  it  their  winter 
residence;  but  men  of  family  will  generally  prefer 
Melton  as  hunting  quarters— that  is  if  hunting  in  a  good 
country  is  their  motive. 

Mr.  Hay  only  continued  to  hunt  the  country  three 
seasons,  and  it  is  somewhat  singular  that  his  four  suc- 
cessors respectively  held  it  precisely  the  same  time ; 
they  were  Mr.  Fellowes,  Mr.  Russell,  Mr.  Thornhill,  and 
Mr.  Granville.  Boxall  was  appointed  to  the  office  of 
huntsman  on  Mr.  Hay's  retirement,  and  continued  till 
1835,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Thomas  Day,  who  had 
previously  turned  the  hounds  to  him. 

At  the  time  Mr.  Thornhill  hunted  the  country,  when 
the  hounds  were  drawing  the  gorse  coverts  or  small 
plantations,  it  was  the  custom  for  all  the  field  to 
assemble  on  one  spot,  to  avoid  heading  the  foxes,  and 
a  most  excellent  precaution  it  was ;  but  on  one  occasion, 
I  remember,  the  hounds,  Mr.  Thornhill,  and  his  men 
alone  got  a  start,  which  was  not  quite  fair.  They  were 
drawing  Watergall  Gorse,  and  a  large  conclave  of 
anxious  sportsmen  were  quietly  stationed  in  the  field 
above  it.  The  hounds  found  their  fox  very  silently, 
and  he  immediately  went  away  on  the  lower  side, 
pointing  for  Burton  Dasset,  and  they  had  nearly 
reached  the  canal  bridge  before  any  one  was  aware 
they  had  found.  Although  it  is  nearly  twenty  years 
since,  the  circumstance  is  fresh  in  my  recollection.  One 
gentleman,  seeing  the  master  and  a  whipper-in  riding 
across  the  country,  dashed  off  in  the  same  direction  ; 
others  followed  his  example,  but  as  the  hounds  went 
away  mute  at  a  great  pace,  and  neither  a  halloo  nor 
touch  of  the  horn  was  heard,  they  were  not  fairly 
overtaken  till  they  came  to  a  check. 

After  Mr.  Corbet  declined,  a  portion  of  the  country 
foil  into  disuse,  or  was  only  hunted  occasionally.     The 


ROBERT   VYNER  117 

extensive  wcK)dIands  at  Birchley  Hayes  and  Corley  were 
sometimes  visited  by  the  Atherstone,  and  I  believe  are 
still  neutral ;  at  all  events  they  were  when  Mr.  Hellier 
hunted  the  North  Warwickshire. 

The  portion  of  country  already  named  being  literally 
though   not    actually,    vacant,    Mr.    Robert  Vyner   of 
Eathorpe,  a  gentleman  who  had  been  zealously  fond  of 
hunting  from   his   boyhood   and   whose   literary  talents 
have  been  subsequently  devoted    to    the  noble  science 
with  very  great  success,  found  it  a  fitting  opportunity 
to  establish  a  pack  of  hounds    in  the  deserted  regions. 
In  this  praiseworthy  effort  he  was  cordially  supported 
by  Mr.  Bolton  King  of  Umberslade  and  other  county 
gentlemen  interested  in  the  good  cause,  and  in  1834  we 
find    him    with    about     thirty    couples     of    hounds    at 
Solihull,  where  some  out-buildings  were  converted  into 
kennels,  and  Mr.  Vyner  was  occupying  apartments  in  a 
house   close    at    hand.       George    Gardner    officiated    as 
whipper-in.     Most  enthusiastically  did  the  new  master 
enter  upon  his  duties.       With  a  scratch  pack,  a  small 
subscription,  no  great  abundance  of  foxes,   and  those 
from    not    having    been    hunted    not    knowing    much 
country,  he  showed  capital  sport  the  first  season.     But 
what  cannot  a  man  accomplish,   aided  by  talent  and 
observation,   if  his  heart  is  in  the  right  place  ?       Mr. 
Vyner  may  be  said  to  have  studied  fox-hunting  from 
his     infancy.       Thus     was     the     North     Warwickshire 
country   established,    but    not    as    an    integral    one — a 
reservation    being   made   in   the    arrangements   that    it 
should  be  given  up  to  any  future  master  of  the  Warwick- 
shire who  might  desire  to  hunt  the  whole,  as  the  late 
Mr.  Corbet  had  done.       So  great  was  the  satisfaction 
given  by  Mr.  Vyner  that  the  following  year  the  sub- 
scription-list    was     considerably     augmented     by     the 
inhabitants  and  visitors  at  Leamington  and  the  sporting 
men  at  Birmingham,  shortly  after  which  the  establish- 
ment was  removed  to  Leamington. 

In   1888    Mr.    Thomas    Shaw   Hellier   succeeded   Mr. 
Vyner,  and  however  great  the  latter  gentleman's  zeal 


118  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

and  ability  were  manifest,  his  successor  entered  into 
the  spirit  of  the  chase  con  amore.  Mr.  Hellier  had 
kept  a  pack  of  harriers  at  his  seat  in  Staffordshire,  and 
for  several  years  had  made  Leamington  his  winter 
residence  for  the  purpose  of  hunting.  He  was,  there- 
fore, no  novice  in  the  management  of  hounds  or 
acquaintance  with  the  country;  and  having  a  purse 
sufficiently  weighty  to  withstand  any  disappointments 
which  might  arise  from  inadequate  or  unpaid  subscrip- 
tions, entered  upon  his  duties  with  most  flattering 
prospects  of  success ;  nor  were  they  disappointed.  The 
large  fields  attendant  upon  these  hounds  whenever  they 
met  at  any  of  the  favourite  fixtures  in  the  Dunchurch 
country  afforded  ample  proofs  of  the  estimation  in  which 
they  were  held.  Although  a  heavy  weight,  Mr.  Hellier 
hunted  his  own  hounds,  and  he  was  superlatively  well 
mounted.  Nothing  puts  the  perseverance  of  hounds 
and  the  patience  of  huntsmen  to  a  stronger  test  than 
short-running,  dodging  foxes  which  appear  to  have  no 
point  to  make  for;  in  hunting  them  Mr.  Hellier  ex- 
celled. 

Leamington  had  by  this  time  become  a  gigantic  town, 
and  many  excellent  sportsmen  made  it  their  place  of 
abode  during  the  winter  season ;  but  if  there  were  many 
good  sportsmen  there  were  a  great  many  more  who 
only  hunted  for  the  purpose  of  sporting  their  pink  and 
leathers  on  parade.  That  they  are  great  obstacles  to 
sport  cannot  be  denied  ;  when  hounds  cannot  run  they 
are  perpetually  pressing  upon  them ;  when  they  can  run 
these  gentlemen  generally  go  home,  and  if  they  are 
asked  what  sport  they  have  seen,  answer  'None.'  In 
that  they  speak  the  truth,  having  either  gone  home 
before  the  run  commenced  or  been  left  behind  ;  but  it 
is  not  very  satisfactory  to  a  master  of  hounds  who 
exerts  himself  to  the  utmost  to  afford  sport  to  hear  such 
reports  have  been  circulated,  when  in  point  of  fact  an 
excellent  run  had  been  shown  to  those  who  remained 
out  and  rode  to  the  end. 

The  South  Wold  countr\^  becoming  vacant  in  1843, 


THE    KINETON    KENNELS  119 

Mr.  Hellier  removed  his  hounds  into  Lincolnshire ; 
and  the  North  Warwickshire  being  without  hounds, 
Mr.  Wilson  of  Gumley  came  forward  and  hunted  it 
with  great  liberality,  but  only  about  two  seasons. 
Previously  to  this  period  the  Warwickshire  country 
was  unoccupied,  and  in  1839  Mr.  Barnard  (now  Lord 
Wllloughby  de  Broke)  undertook  to  hunt  it,  and  his 
lordship  still  continues  to  hold  it.  In  this  year  the 
kennels  and  stables  at  Kineton  were  erected,  and  as  so 
much  liberality  and  good  feeling  were  connected  with 
the  undertaking,  a  brief  account  of  the  proceedings  will 
not  fail  to  be  interesting. 

The  land  on  which  the  buildings  were  erected  was  the 
gift  of  George  Lucy,  Esq.  of  Charlecote  Park,  and  the 
design  was  made  by  his  brother-in-law  Hugh  Williams, 
Esq.  without  the  assistance  of  any  professed  architect. 
They  consist  of  two  houses,  one  for  the  huntsman  and 
the  other  for  the  sftud-groom ;  sleeping-rooms  over  the 
stables  for  the  helpers,  and  a  mess-room  for  their 
accommodation.  There  are  ten  loose  boxes,  three  three- 
stall  stables,  and  a  bail-stable  capable  of  holding  four 
hacks,  convertible  also  into  two  boxes.  The  kennel  con- 
sists of  three  principal  lodging-rooms  and  two  smaller 
ones,  with  all  the  necessary  appurtenances  of  feedmg- 
room,  boiling-house,  flesh-house,  etc.  The  funds  for 
the  construction  of  these  buildings!  were  supplied  by  the 
Members  of  the  Warwickshire  Hunt.  The  materials 
were   drawn   to   the   spot  by  the  united   efforts  of  one 

HUNDRED  AND  EIGHTY   FARMERS,   who   CollcCtivcly  had   at 

work  five  hundred  and  fifty-three  waggons.  The  first 
stone  was  laid  on  the  24th  of  July,  and  on  the  15th  of 
October  the  various  apartments  were  occupied — ^the 
hounds,  horses,  and  servants  were  in  their  respective 
quarters.  It  is  doubtful  if  greater  expedition  in  the 
construction  of  buildings  was  ever  practised  on  any 
other  occasion.  What  can  be  more  conclusive  of  the 
good  feeling  which  the  Warwickshire  farmers  entertain 
for  fox-hunting  than  that  they  would  come  forward  as 
they    did    gratuitously  at   a   time,   be   it    remembered. 


120  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

when  they  were  also  engaged  with  their  corn-harvest? 
They  always  were  a  liberal  sporting  class  of  men,  and 
their  example  is  worthy  of  imitation. 

The  North  Warwickshire  country  having  for  several 
seasons  been  without  hounds,  the  Dunchurch  side  ex- 
cepted, in  1850  it  was  arranged  w4th  Captain  Thomson, 
the  master  of  the  Atherstone,  that  he  should  hunt  a 
part  of  it  as  far  as  Hampton  Coppice,  Stonebridge,  and 
Packington;  the  other  portion  to  be  hunted  by  the 
Warwickshire  two  days  a  week;  a  subscription  being 
entered  into  at  Birmingham  to  meet  the  extra  expenses. 
At  that  time  the  Warwickshire  kennels  had  to  find 
hounds,  horses,  and  men  for  six  days  in  the  week.  This 
was  accomplished  by  the  whipper-in  performing  the 
duties  of  huntsman  in  the  North  Warwickshire  district. 
Mr.  Selby  Lowndes,  after  having  shown  great  sport  in  a 
portion  of  the  Duke  of  Grafton's  country  during  the 
preceding  ten  years,  returned  it  to  Lord  Southampton 
in  the  spring  of  1853,  and  entered  upon  North  Warwick- 
shire. 

As  Leamington  is  provided  with  railway  accomoda- 
tion, there  is  no  difficulty  in  reaching  either  the  Quom, 
the  Pytchley,  Lord  Southampton's,  Mr.  Drake's,  or 
even  the  Heythrop  hounds,  at  some  of  their  places  of 
meeting,  if  the  sportsman  is  desirous  to  vary  the  field 
of  his  amusements ;  which  he  may  sometimes  be  induced 
to  do,  for  it  must  be  admitted  that  many  of  the  best 
parts  of  the  Warwickshire  country  lay  very  wide.  The 
North  Warwickshire  will,  no  doubt,  be  again  con- 
sidered as  the  Leamington  pack;  but  there  will  be,  as 
there  always  have  been,  many  sportsmen  frequenting 
that  town  who  will  not  admire  the  heavy  plough  and 
woodlands  which  mostly  prevail. 

The  Warwickshire  country,  as  at  present  defined, 
extends  from  Marton  Village,  between  four  and  five 
miles  north  of  Southam,  to  Wolford  Wood,  near  More- 
ton-in-the-Marsh,  and  from  Radboume  on  the  east  to 
Oversley  Wood  on  the  west.  It  is  thus  surrounded  by 
other  hunts  :  the  North  Warwickshu-e,  Mr.  Drake,  on 


WILLIAM    SOMERVILLE  121 

the  east,  the  Heythrop  on  the  south,  and  Earl  Fitz- 
hardinge's  Broadway  country  joins  in  the  vicinity  of 
Chipping  Campden  and  Moreton-in-the-Marsh,  with  a 
small  portion  of  country  not  hunted  :  the  Worcester- 
shire forms  the  western  boundary.  The  North  Warwick- 
shire reaches  from  Hill  Moreton  on  the  east,  where  it 
is  joined  by  the  Pytchley,  to  Castle  Bromwich,  within 
five  miles  of  Birmingham ;  the  Atherstone  is  situated  on 
the  north  and  north-east;  and  the  Worcestershire  is  the 
nearest  on  the  West,  where  there  is  a  narrow  continua- 
tion of  country  not  hunted. 

Warwickshire  is  celebrated  as  the  birthplace  of  the 
inimitable  poet  Somerville ;  not  forgetting  also  that 
Shakespeare  drew  his  first  breath  in  the  same  county. 
A  greater  compliment  could  not  have  been  paid  to  the 
author  of  The  Chase  than  an  observation  made  by  Earl 
Fitzhardinge  in  the  spring  of  1852,  on  the  occasion  of 
his  lordship  being  presented  with  a  superb  piece  of 
plate  in  testimony  of  the  subscribers'  appreciation  of 
the  noble  lord's  generosity  in  maintaining  a  pack  of 
fox-hounds  for  hunting  the  Berkeley  and  Cheltenham 
countries.  Earl  Fitzhardinge  having  acknowledged 
the  testimonial  and  made  some  remarks  on  the  duties 
of  masters  of  hounds,  traced  his  ardent  love  of  the 
sport  to  his  perusal,  when  a  boy,  of  Somerville 's  poem 
of  The  Chase.  It  would  be  a  fortunate  circumstance  if 
every  young  nobleman  and  gentleman  of  property  were 
to  follow  his  lordship's  example  and  derive  a  similar 
impulse  from  the  poet's  effusions.  Somerville's  resi- 
dence was  at  Edstone,  close  to  the  well-known  fox- 
covert  Austywood,  in  the  parish  of  Wotton  Wawen, 
where  he  was  buried  in  1742,  aged  fifty ;  and  the 
following  letter  from  him  to  Mr.  Mackenzie  at  Wotton 
is  characteristic  of  the  customs  of  those  days. 

"  Sip., 

I  am  very  sorry  I  must  deny  myself  the  pleasure 
of  your  good  company  to-morrow.  I  was'  to-day  with 
my  Lord  Coventry's  harriers,  and  I  know  Ball  will  not 


122  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

hold  out  two  days  together.  I  meet  them  again  on 
Thursday  morning  in  Wilmcote  Pasture,  near  Stratford  ; 
and  should  think  myself  very  happy  in  your  good  com- 
pany. I  must  be  there  at  six  in  the  morning.  It  may 
be  that  a  little  variety  may  please  you,  and  induce  you 
for  once  to  condescend  to  hunt  hare.  If  you  do,  it  will 
be  a  great  satisfaction  to 

Your  most  humble  servant, 

W.    SOMERVILLE. 

Pray  let  me  know  by  the  messtenger  if  you  can  con- 
veniently come  on  Thursday;  and  I  will  wait  for  you 
at  Edstone." 

Ball  was  of  course  the  poet's  horse,  and  evidently  the 
only  one  he  had ;  and  it  speaks  highly  for  his  kind  feel- 
ings that  he  declined  taxing  the  animal's  pK>wers  with 
unnecessary  severity.  He  says  he  must  be  at  Wilmcote 
Pasture  at  six  in  the  morning,  which  was  doubtless  the 
usual  hour  of  meeting  in  those  days.  The  eloquent 
persuasion  with  which  he  endeavours  to  induce  his 
friend  to  join  him  in  the  field  is  admirably  expressed. 

It  is  impossible  to  read  Somerville's  poem  without 
being  thoroughly  convinced  that  many  of  the  customs, 
events,  and  circumstances  connected  with  the  chase, 
which  we  are  generally  disposed  to  consider  as  modem 
disco veriesi  or  improvements,  were  known  to  him  and 
must  therefore  have  been  practised  in  or  before  his 
time.     He  says. — 

"  In  thee  alone,  fair  land  of  liberty, 

Is  bred  the  perfect  hound,  in  scent  and  speed 
As  yet  unrivalled,  while  in  other  climes 
Their  virtue  fails — a  weak,  degenerate  race." 

His  instructions  in  the  selection  of  an  appropriate 
site  for  a  kennel  are  admirable,  and  his  directions 
appertaining  to  kennel  discipline  have  scarcely  under- 
gone any  alterations.  On  the  size  of  hounds  Somerville 
has  given  an  excellent  lesson ;  and  although  some 
masters  have  disregarded  it,  experience  has  corrobor- 
ated the  value  of  the  poet's  admonition  :  — 


"  THE    CHASE  "  123 

"  But  here  a   mean 
Observe,  nor  the  larjre  hound  prefer,  of  size 
Gigantic ;  he  in  the  thick-woven  covert 
Painfully  tugs,  or  in  the  thorny  brake 
Torn  and  embarrassed  bleeds  :  but  if  too  small, 
The  pigmy  brood  in  every  furrow  swims ; 
Moiled  in  the  clogging  clay,  panting  they  lag 
Behind  inglorious;  or  else  shivering  creep 
Benumb'd   and    faint    beneath   the   sheltering   thorn." 

On  the  breeding  of  hounds  his  opinion  is  beautifully 
expressed,  and  well  worthy  of  attention  : — 

"  Observe  with  care  his  shape,  sort,  colour,  size; 
Nor  will  sagacious  huntsmen  less  regard 
His  inward  habits  ;    the  vain   babbler  shun, 
Ever  loquacious,  ever  in  the  wrong. 
His  foolish  offspring  shall  offend  thy  ears 
With  false  alarms,  and  loud  impertinence. 
Nor  less  the  shifting  cur  avoid,  that  breaks 
Illusive  from  the  pack ;  to  the  next  hedge 
Devious  he  strays,  there  every  muse  he  tries; 
If  haply  then  he  cross  the  steaming  scent, 
Away  he  flies  vain-glorious  and  exults 
As  of  the  pack  supreme,  and  in  his  speed 
And  strength  unrivalled.     Lo !  cast  far  behind 
His  vexed  associates  pant,  and  lab'ring  .strain 
To  climb  the  steep  ascent.     Soon  as  they  reach 
Th'  insulting  boaster,  his  false  courage  fails. 
Behind  he  lags,  doomed  to  the  fatal  noose, 
His  master's  hate,  and  scorn  of  all  the  field. 
What  can  from  such  be  hoped,  but  a  base  brood 
Of  coward  curs,  a  frantic,  vagrant  race?" 

The  interesting  subjects  of  rendering  hounds  steady 
from  riot  and  entering  them  to  their  game  are 
amusingly  and  harmoniously  discussed  ;  but  as  I  have 
quoted  sufficient  to  show  that  many  of  the  present 
customs  and  circumstances  connected  with  the  chase 
were  known  to  our  ancestors,  I  will  only  urge  those  of 
my  readers  who  have  not  read  Somerville's  poem  and 
are  anxious  to  become  more  intimately  acquainted  with 
the  subjects  on  which  it  treats,  to  follow  the  excellent 
example  of  Earl  Fitzhardinge. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

BEAUFORT  AND  BADMINTON 

The  Duke  of  Beaufort's  hounds  claim  distinction  for 
having  been  in  the  uninterrupted  possession  of  the 
family,  descending  from  father  to  son,  during  a  long 
series  of  years. 

When  hounds  were  first  established  at  Badminton, 
they  were  devoted  to  the  pursuit  of  the  stag.  Fox- 
hunting was  introduced  by  Henry,  the  fifth  Duke  of 
Beaufort,  as  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained,  about  the 
year  1780.  A  circumstance  is  related  which  affords 
authority  for  this.  At  the  period  named,  there  was  a 
very  celebrated  divine,  a  most  worthy  gentleman  and 
highly  respected  by  his  Grace's  family,  named  Doctor 
Penny,  who  resided  at  Badminton  in  the  capacity  of 
chaplain,  and  his  bell-rope  was  ornamented  with  a  pad 
of  a  fox  set  in  metal,  upon  which  there  was  an  inscrip- 
tion, and  this  is  said  to  have  been  a  pad  taken  from  the 
first  fox  killed  by  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's  fox-hounds. 

In  addition  to  the  country  around  Badminton  was 
another  in  Oxfordshire  which  had  previously  been 
hunted  by  the  Lord  Foley  of  that  day,  who  disposed  of 
his  hounds  to  Earl  Fitzwilliam.  The  Duke  of  Beaufort 
rented  Heythrop  House  from  Earl  Shrewsbury  for  the 
convenience  of  hunting  that  country  alternately  with 
the  Badminton,  as  in  those  times  foxes  were  not  suffic- 
iently numerous  to  afford  a  season's  sport  without 
such  an  arrangement.  This  duke  died  in  1803,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Henry  Charles,  the  sixth  duke,  in  whose 
possession  the  hounds  gained  the  great  celebrity  which 
they  have  ever  since  maintained.  Philip  Payne,  the 
huntsman,  was  first  entered  as  whipper-in  to  the  Earl 


THE    DUKE    OF    BEAUFORT'S  125 

of  Thanet's  hounds,  from  whom  he  went  to  Lord 
DarUngton,  and  afterwards  to  the  Earl  of  Lonsdale  as 
huntsman,  which  engagement  he  retained  twelve  years ; 
he  then  hunted  the  Cheshire  hounds  two  seasons,  and 
was  engaged  to  perform  a  similar  duty  at  Badminton 
in  1802.  This  appointment  he  held  till  1826 ;  and  on  his 
quitting  the  duke's  service,  William  Long,  who  had  for 
many  years  whipped-in  to  him,   occupied  his  place. 

I  never  had  an  opportunity  of  meeting  the  sixth  Duke 
of  Beaufort's  hounds  but  twice,  some  twenty  years  ago, 
which  was  in  their  Heythrop  country;  on  one  occasion 
at  Addlestrope  Gate,  on  the  other  at  Boulter's  Barn. 
They  had  not  anything  remarkable  in  the  way  of  a  run 
on  either  day,  except  on  the  first  a  pretty  scurry  from 
Oddington  Ashes  over  the  Evenlode  brook — in  which 
several  enjoyed  the  delights  of  a  cold  bath — nearly  to 
Chastleton,  where  they  lost  their  fox.  I  perfectly  well 
remember  the  aristocratic  character  of  the  establishment, 
and  also  am  anecdote  of  the  noble  duke,  who  found  it 
necessarj^  to  remonstrate  with  a  young  Oxonian  on  a 
previous  occasion  who  had  wantonly  pressed  upon  the 
hounds,  so  much  so  as  to  cause  them  to  lose  their  fox. 
It  is  so  consistent  with  his  Grace's  kind  yet  impressive 
deportment  that  I  must  not  omit  its  introduction.  The 
zeal  for  notoriety  had  so  far  overcome  the  propriety  of 
this  young  aspirant  to  equestrian  fame,  that  he  had 
several  times  pressed  the  hounds  off  the  scent,  which 
was  but  an  indifferent  one ;  and  at  length  the  fox  was 
lost,  when  he  was  doomed  to  receive  this  well-directed 
admonition.  His  Grace  rode  up  to  him,  and  taking  off 
his  hat,  exclaimed,  ''  Sir,  I  have  to  thank  you,  and  I 
beg  every  gentleman  in  the  field  will  follow  my 
example,  take  off  their  hats  to  you,  and  thank  you  for 
spoiling  a  very  good  day's  sport." 

An  unfortunate  accident  occurred  at  Heythrop — 
the  destruction  by  fire  of  part  of  the  mansion  when 
airing  it  for  the  reception  of  the  duke  and  family.  A 
portion  was  saved,  which  is  still  devoted  to  the  use  of 
the   servants   of  the   present   Heythrop   hounds.     This 


126  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

caused  his  Grace  to  take  up  his  temporary  winter  abode 
at  Chapel  House ;  but  that  was  only  during  part  of  one 
season,  and  in  the  spring  of  1835  the  noble  duke,  in 
consequence  of  ill  health,  signified  his  intention  of 
relinquishing  the  Heythrop  country.  Some  difficulty 
was  at  first  experienced  in  finding  a  successor ;  but  at 
length  a  committee  was  formed  and  subscriptions 
entered  into,  when  Mr.  Langston  of  Sarsdon  undertook 
the  active  management,  supported  by  Lord  Redesdale 
and  Mr.  Mostyn.  Jem  Hills,  who  had  been  first  whip 
to  the  late  Lord  Ducie,  then  the  Honourable  Henry 
Moreton,  was  engaged  as  huntsman  ;  Edward  Bullen, 
from  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's,  as  first  and  John  Goddard 
as  second  whipper-in. 

Thus  was  the  Heythrop  established  as  a  distinct 
country ;  and  the  result  speaks  incontestibly  for  the 
increased  favour  in  which  fox-hunting  is  held  at  the 
present  period.  Previously  to  the  time  when  the  Duke 
of  Beaufort  relinquished  it,  it  was  supposed  that 
neither  of  his  Grace's  countries,  individually,  was  sufii- 
ciently  extensive,  or  that  the  foxes  were  sufficiently 
numerous,  to  afford  three  days  a  week  throughout  the 
season ;  they  now  each  of  them  admit  of  four  days  in 
the  week,  and  are  abundantly  stocked  with  foxes.  In 
point  of  fact  the  number  of  hunting  days  is  doubled.  A 
line  drawn  from  east  to  west,  commencing  at 
Deddington  and  ending  at  Moreton-in-the-Marsh,  de- 
fines the  northern  boundary ;  there  are  only  two  places 
of  meeting  south  of  Witney,  which  are  Westwell  Village 
and  Tar  Wood,  and  the  latter  is  neutral  with  the 
Berkshire.  North  Aston,  Hopcrofts  Holt,  Sturdys 
Castle,  and  Begbrook,  are  on  the  eastern  extremity ; 
New  Barn,  Cold  Aston,  and  Eyeford,  are  on  the  western. 
These  are  the  extreme  places  of  meeting,  although 
there  are  coverts  which  they  draw  beyond  those 
boundaries.  The  length  of  the  country  from  east  to 
west  as  the  crow  flies  does  not  much  exceed  twenty 
miles,  and  the  width  from  north  to  south  is  little  more 
than  fifteen.     It  is  surrounded  by  Earl  Fitzhardinge's, 


THE   HEYTHROP  127 

the  Warwickshire,  Mr.  Drake's,  the  Old  Berkshire,  and 
the  Vale  of  White  Horse  Hunts.  It  may  well  be 
designated  a  nice  compact  country,  and  I  feel  con- 
vinced there  is  no  other  of  the  same  limits  that  can  vie 
with  it  in  the  number  of  foxes  which  it  contains,  and 
the  sport  afforded  on  an  average  of  years.  It  is  to  the 
consideration  and  persevering  attention  of  landlords, 
tenants,  and  the  occupiers  of  their  own  estates,  in  the 
strict  preservation  of  foxes,  that  such  an  abundance  of 
them  is  maintained. 

The  Heythrop  pack  was  at  first  composed  of  twenty- 
three  couples  of  hounds  from  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's 
kennels,  ten  couples  of  draft  hounds  from  Lord 
Radnor's,  a  like  number  to  enter  from  Mr.  Drake,  nine 
couples  and  a  half  of  draft  hounds  from  the  Warwick- 
shire, one  couple  of  draft  and  one  couple  and  a  half 
of  unentered  hounds  from  the  Honourable  H.  Moreton, 
and  one  couple  from  the  Duke  of  Rutland.  The  custom 
of  walking  puppies  being  new  to  the  country,  the 
opportunities  of  breeding  for  the  first  few  years  were 
very  limited,  when  they  had  recourse  principally  to  Mr. 
Drake  for  reinforcements;  but  as  the  popularity  of  the 
new  establishment  increased,  that  difficulty  was  over- 
come, and  they  are  enabled  most  years  to  put  forward 
a  sufficient  number  of  young  hounds  of  their  own 
breeding  to  recruit  their  ranks,  resorting  of  course  to 
other  kennels  when  required  for  fresh  blood,  generally 
selecting  those  of  the  Earls  Yarborough  and  Fitz- 
hardinge,  the  late  Mr.  Drake,  and  the  Warwickshire. 
They  are  a  wirj'^,  active  style  of  hound,  and  proverbially 
stout,  with  very  great  speed,  admirably  adapted  to  the 
country  in  which  thej?^  hunt,  some  of  which  is  not  very 
favourable  to  scent.  Principally  descended  from  the 
old  Badminton  sort,  they  possess  the  good  qualities 
inherited  by  that  blood,  although  in  point  of  substance 
they  may  be  lighter  and  their  symmetry'  somewhat 
changed.  Every  breeder  of  hounds  has  his  peculiar 
fancies,  and  endeavours  to  obtain  a  particular  style 
suitable,  as  he  considers,  to  the  nature  of  the  country 


128  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

in  which  they  are  to  hunt;  and  although  the  blood  of 
two  packs  may  be  identical  and  their  general  qualities 
similar,  their  shape  and  make  may  be  quite  different, 
simply  from  the  fact  of  two  huntsmen  putting  forward 
hounds  of  different  proportions.  This  may  be  clearly 
exemplified  by  a  comparison  of  size;  one  man  prefers 
only  the  large  upstanding  hound  four  or  five  and 
twenty  inches  high,  and  another  will  only  enter  those 
which  do  not  exceed  one  or  two  and  twenty  inches. 
The  celebrated  Mr.  Meynell  was  wont  to  say,  "  the 
height  of  a  hound  has  nothing  to  do  with  his  size."  By 
this  it  must  be  readily  understood  that  he  meant 
"  power;"  and  with  due  respect  to  the  memory  of  that 
great  authority,  it  would  have  been  more  explicit  had 
he  adopted  the  latter  expression. 

Without  abounding  with  what  can  be  denominated 
severe  hills,  the  country  consists  of  alternate  hill 
and  vale ;  there  is  consequently  much  variation  of  scent 
especially  on  the  Cotswold  Hills,  celebrated  for  the 
famous  breed  of  sheep,  which  stain  the  ground  to  a 
considerable  extent.  Most  of  these  upland  soils  hold 
but  a  fleeting  scent,  especially  in  windy  weather;  and 
when  the  hounds  come  to  a  check,  if  unnecessary  time 
were  to  be  lost  there  would  be  very  little  chance  of 
showing  a  run,  much  less  of  killing  foxes.  Inde- 
pendently of  this,  the  hounds  are  very  often  subjected 
to  being  pressed  upon  too  closely  in  chase. 

The  nature  of  the  country  is  generally  favourable  for 
horses ;  the  fences,  particularly  the  stone  walls,  are 
practicable ;  and  the  number  of  ardent  spirits  from 
Oxford  and  other  parts  do  not  always  give  the  hounds 
the  room  they  require.  These  circumstances  have  in- 
duced Jem  Hills  to  adopt  a  system  of  lifting  his  hounds, 
perhaps  more  frequently  than  any  other  huntsman  of 
the  day  ;  and  they  certainly  bear  it  in  an  extraordinary 
manner.  It  was  my  good  fortune  to  hunt  with  them 
nearly  three  seasons,  and  I  had  therefore  an  opportunity 
of  forming  some  opinion  of  the  manner  in  which  they 
were  handled.    Doubts  are  sometimes  expressed  on  the 


JEM    HILLS  129 

propriety  of  Hills'  method,  and  I  particularly  recollect 
a  circumstance  a  few  years  ago  which  confirms  me  in 
the  opinion  that  it  is  correct  under  the  difficulties  by 
which  he  is  surrounded.  They  met  at  New  Barn  early 
in  December,  and  found  in  Farmington  Grove  a  brace 
if  not  a  leash  of  foxes,  but  there  was  no  scent  to  afford 
a  run  with  either.  They  then  proceeded  to  Sherborne 
Cow  Pasture,  where  they  again  found,  and  Hills  seemed 
determined  not  to  lose  a  chance  by  allowing  the  scent 
to  die  away  whenever  a  check  occurred.  A  master  of 
hounds  accustomed  to  a  slow,  good-scenting,  woodland 
country,  not  intruded  upon  by  many  horsemen,  who 
was  out,  expressed  to  me  his  astonishment,  at  the  same 
time  giving  an  opinion  that  hounds  so  treated  would 
never  hunt  when  required  to  do  so ;  and  in  which  opinion 
I  should  certainly  coincide  with  respect  to  nine  packs  in 
ten.  Almost  at  the  moment  the  observation  was  made 
the  hounds  came  to  a  check.  They  spread  beautifully, 
and  every  one  of  them  had  his  nose  to  the  ground,  trying 
to  recover  the  scent.  They  soon  hit  off  the  line,  and 
by  dint  of  hunting  and  Jem's  talent  they  killed  their 
fox  after  a  dodging  run  of  an  hour,  in  the  osier  bed 
close  to  where  they  found  him.  "There,"  said  I  to  my 
neighbour,  "  can  any  hounds  work  better  than  that  ?" 
Jem  Hills  is  actually  thought  by  some  people  to 
possess  an  intuitive — it  may  be  said  a  supernatural — 
knowledge  of  a  fox's  line,  and  I  have  heard  a  somewhat 
ridiculous  anecdote  of  his  having  nearly  ridden  a  fox 
down  himself,  without  any  hounds,  in  a  covert,  merely 
by  placing  himself  in  the  ride  and  hallooing  to  the  fox 
as  he  crossed ;  but  the  tale  is  rather  too  marvellous, 
because  it  is  well  known  a  fox  will  not  continue  on  the 
move — more  especially  he  will  not  cross  open  spaces, 
unless  pressed  by  hounds.  Neither  can  I  believe  Hills 
ever  perpetrated  such  an  unsportsman-like  act.  If  a 
huntsman  does  not  know  the  run  of  the  foxes,  he  does 
not  know  a  most  important  part  of  his  business.  Of 
Jem  Hills'  talent  I  have  a  very  high  opinion,  and  what- 
ever may  be  said  against  his  system  of  lifting  his  hounds 
I 


130  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

I  maintain  that  it  is  a  practice  thoroughly  adapted,  and 
I  may  add,  indispensable  to  sport  in  that  countr>\  To 
see  these  hounds  draw  the  hanging  covert  at  Eyeford 
or  Jolly's  Gorse  (a  favourite  covert  near  to  Bra  dwell 
Grove)  is  a  treat  worth  riding  any  distance  to  enjoy. 
The  alacrity  which  Hills  displays  in  getting  his  hounds 
away  and  on  the  line  when  a  fox  has  broke  covert  exceeds 
that  of  any  man  I  have  ever  yet  seen,  Mr.  Osbaldeston 
not  even  excepted ;  and  it  is  one  of  the  most  important 
operations  towards  attaining  a  good  run  with  blood  at 
the  finish. 

After  three  or  lour  years'  practice  as  underwhip  John 
Goddard  was  promoted,  and  a  more  effective  one  never 
turned  a  hound.  He  entered  on  the  duties  of  first  whip 
some  ten  or  twelve  years  ago,  since  which  the  White 
Hart  at  Chipping  Norton  being  vacant,  he  determined 
to  try  his  hand  at  inn-keeping.  That,  however,  did  not 
suit  his  taste  long;  and  he  has  again  entered  into  the 
service  of  the  chase. 

During  the  last  twelve  years  the  Heythrop  country 
has  been  entirely  under  the  control  of  Lord  Redesdale. 
A  more  popular  master  of  hounds  cannot  exist.  His 
lordship's  devoted  attention  to  parliamentary  duties 
occasions  his  absence  from  the  field  more  frequently 
than  those  who  hunt  with  these  hounds  would  wish. 
After  business  commences  in  the  House  Lord  Redesdale 
almost  invariably  repairs  to  London.  It  was  reported 
at  one  period,  in  consequence  of  the  railway  which  now 
passes  through  the  country  but  which  was  then  only  in 
anticipation,  that  his  lordship  would  no  longer  keep  on 
the  hounds.  Fortunately,  however,  that  intention  was 
abandoned,  and  it  is  cheering  to  observe  that  railways 
do  not  prove  the  impediments  to  fox-hunting  that  they 
were  expected  to  do. 

It  is  not  always^ — perhaps  with  more  propriety  I 
might  say  it  is  not  often — that  any  man  has  it  in  his 
power  to  lead  that  course  of  life  which  he  most  desires. 
If  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  possess  an  income  adequate 
to  the  expenses  I  should  certainly  prefer  Leicestershire 


THE  BEAUFORT    KENNELS  131 

before  any  other  countrj'^  to  hunt  in.  But  not  being  so 
ambitious,  I  should  be  perfectly  contented  with  three 
or  four  good  horses,  with  a  convenient  house  and  stabling 
in  a  central  part  of  the  Heythrop  country.  It  is  not 
one  in  which  the  wear  and  tear  of  horseflesh  is  great ; 
there  are  decidedly  more  than  an  average  of  good  runs 
during  the  season ;  it  is  an  agreeable  country  to  ride 
over;  and  the  noble  owner  of  the  pack  is  a  most  affable 
and  accomplished  stportsman. 

Before  the  close  of  the  year  in  which  the  sixth  Duke 
of  Beaufort  resigned  the  Heythrop  country,  his  Grace 
was  called  '  to  that  bourne  from  whence  no  traveller 
returns.'  On  the  23rd  of  November  1835  the  noble  duke 
expired  at  his  seat,  Badminton,  in  the  sixty-ninth  year 
of  his  age. 

It  generally  happens  on  the  decease  or  retirement  of 
a  master  of  hounds  that  considerable  changes  take  place, 
and  the  pack  very  frequently  suffers  materially  in  con- 
sequence. A  son  or  successor  usually  fancies  he  can 
improve  upon  the  works  of  his  ancestor  or  predecessor, 
and  in  attempting  to  do  so  by  hasty  proceedings  very 
commonly  finds  himself  in  a'  labyrinth  of  error.  A  fresh 
huntsman  is  probably  engaged,  and  selected  from  the 
ranks  of  hard-riding  whippers-in,  in  whose  opinion  the 
old  pack  is  too  slow,  and,  endeavouring  to  remedy  that 
failing,  heaps  confusion  on  confusion.  This,  however, 
was  not  the  case  on  the  death  of  the  Duke  of  Beaufort. 
The  same  huntsman  was  retained ;  the  same  hounds 
remained  in  the  kennels  ;  the  same  good  taste  pre- 
dominated in  selecting  hounds  worthy  of  the  honour  of 
perpetuating  their  species ;  and,  excellent  as  they  no 
doubt  were  at  the  time  Philip  Payne  handed  over  the 
couples  to  William  Long,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  pro- 
nouncing them  superior  to  what  they  were,  at  all  events 
according  to  the  taste  and  opinion  of  the  present  day. 
I  well  recollect  going  through  the  kennels  in  1845,  and 
have  the  form  of  several  of  the  favourite  hounds  in  my 
mind's  eye  at  the  present  moment.  Potentate  was  then 
just  entering  into  his  prime ;  Flyer  and  Frankfort  pos- 


132  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

sessed  much  character,  as  also  Launcelot,  Rutland, 
Boaster,  and  Dashwood.  The  hound  I  liked  the  least 
was  Duncan.  I  thought  him  too  short  and  compact  to 
be  a  stud  hound  in  a  fast,  fashionable  pack;  but,  to 
make  amends,  he  was  of  a  capital  good  sort,  and  I  see 
there  is  some  of  his  blood  now  going. 

I  was  never  fortunate  enough  to  meet  the  Duke  of 
Beaufort's  hounds  on  what  is  called  a  Lawn  day,  which 
is  a  meeting  on  Badminton  Lawn,  when  foreign  princes 
and  potentates  are  invited  to  participate  in  the  glories 
of  the  chase,  after  the  custom  of  English  fox-hunters ; 
when    one    of    the    most    beautiful    packs    of    hounds 
is  drafted  for  the  occasion;  when  many  of  the  finest 
hunters   which  England   can   produce   are   paraded   for 
admiration  and  are  in  readiness  to  perform  their  duties ; 
when  vehicles  of  all  kinds,  from  the  aristocratic  four- 
in-hand  to  the  humble  sporting  dog-cart,  are  freighted 
with  loads  of  joyous  hearts;  when  the  hospitalities  of 
the  mansion  are  offered  to  all  classes;   and  when  all 
orders  and  degrees  of  sportsmen,  from  the  peer  to  the 
peasant,  join,  unceremoniously  yet  courteously  in  the 
pleasures  of  the  chase,  and  representatives  of  all  other 
orders  come  to  enjoy  the   scene.     The  programme  of 
the  arrangements  for  celebrating  the  coming  of  age  of 
the   present    duke    included    an    appointment    for    the 
hounds  to  meet  on  the  Lawn ;  and  I  hoped  it  would 
have  afforded  me  an  opportunity  of  seeing  what  has 
been  represented  to  me  as  the  most  perfect  thing  of 
the  kind  that  can  possibly  be  conceived.     In  this  I  was 
destined  to  disappointment.     Two  days'  hard  frost  had 
set  at  defiance  all  possibility  of  hunting;  and  the  only 
out-door  amusement  consisted  in  the  '  breaking  up  '  of 
a  huge  ox,  which  was  roasted  in  the  '  open.' 

The  uniform  worn  by  the  members  of  the  Duke  of 
Beaufort's  Hunt  is  blue,  lined  with  a  very  light  buff. 
It  is  the  only  hunt  which  does  not  adopt  scarlet  for 
field  costume.  The  huntsman,  whippers-in,  and  second- 
horse  men  are  clad  in  green  plush,  as  are  likewbe  the 
men  belonging  to  the  Heythrop.       This,  I  apprehend. 


THE    BADMINTON  188 

originated  in  the  circumstance,  already  named,  of  the 
stag-hunting  establishment  kept  up  at  Badminton 
previously  to  the  introduction  of  fox-hunting,  when 
green  was  no  doubt  the  colour  usually  worn  on  those 
occasions. 

The  Badminton  country  is  considerably  more  extensive 
than  the  Heythrop ;  and  so  well  are  the  foxes  preserved 
that  it  affords  quite  a  sufficient  number  for  four  days 
in  the  week,  admitting  forty-nine  and  a  half  brace  to 
be  killed  in  one  season ;  which  was  the  case  with  that 
of  1852-53,  said  to  have  been  the  best  they  ever  had ; 
and  the  number  of  the  foxes  killed  exceeded  that  of  any 
former  winter  by  four  or  five  brace.  It  will  long  be 
remembered  both  by  sportsmen  and  farmers  as  the 
wettest  period  ever  known.  The  scent  being  especially 
good,  the  hounds  fairly  ran  away  from  the  horses,  and 
therefore,  not  being  pressed  upon,  were  enabled  to 
exert  their  hunting  faculties  to  great  advantage.  I  was 
impressed  with  a  remark  made  by  William  Long,  which 
is  so  characteristic  of  the  huntsman,  who  is  in  ecstasies 
when  he  sees  the  hounds  run  away  from  the  horsemen, 
and  by  their  condition  enabled  to  maintain  their 
advantage.  A  gentleman  observed  to  him  the  very 
deep  state  of  the  country,  when  Long  replied,  "What 
does  it  signify  how  deep  the  country  is,  so  that  the 
hounds  can  run.^*" 

The  Duke  of  Beaufort's  country  is  joined  on  one  side 
by  the  Earl  Fitzhardinge's  Berkeley  country ;  that  is, 
principally  on  the  west  and  north-west.  On  the  extreme 
north  there  is  a  hilly  district,  about  Stroud,  scarcely 
ever  hunted.  On  the  east  is  the  Vale  of  White  Horse ; 
and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Devizes  Mr.  Thomas 
Assheton  Smith's  comes  within  reach.  On  the  south  is 
a  countr>%  now  without  hounds,  which  was  formerly 
hunted  by  Mr.  Horlock.  Avening  village  is  the  farthest 
place  of  meeting  north  of  Badminton ;  and  New  Park, 
one  mile  from  Devizes,  on  the  south,  which  may  be 
estimated  in  a  direct  line  at  about  thirty  miles. 
Bushton  is  the  eastern  extremity ;  and  Stoke  Park  the 


184  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

western.  There  is  much  variety  of  hill  and  vale,  the 
former  being  fenced  with  stone  walls,  and  the  latter 
with  hedges  and  ditches  mostly  of  a  practicable  nature. 
In  the  vale  are  several  good  brooks,  some  of  which  are 
not  easily  negotiable.  There  is  a  considerable  portion 
of  grass  about  Hullavington,  and  what  is  called  the 
Christian  Malford  country,  which,  with  an  accomplished 
hunter,  is  a  good  one  to  ride  over  and  see  sport  in. 
Badminton  Park,  which  is  nine  or  ten  miles  in  circum- 
ference, is  on  an  elevated  situation.  It  is  a  magni- 
ficent demesne ;  and  the  stranger  cannot  fail  on  arriving 
near  it  to  be  impressed  with  its  noble  grandeur.  The 
approach  from  Worcester  Lodge  is  superlatively 
beautiful.  When  viewed  through  the  gates,  the  park, 
full  three  miles  in  length,  with  the  fine  avenues  of  trees 
and  the  mansion  at  the  distance,  presents  the  ne  plus 
ultra  of  a  ducal  residence.  In  the  estimation  of  a 
sportsman,  the  interest  of  the  scenery  is  not  a  little 
enhanced  when  Worcester  Lodge  is  the  appointed  place 
for  the  hounds  to  meet  at. 

There  is  a  singular  fox  covert  in  this  hunt,  called 
Boxwood ;  and,  as  the  name  implies,  it  is  composed 
entirely  of  that  evergreen  shrub.  It  is  situated  on  a 
hill,  and  is  therefore  very  dry,  and  a  favourite  resort 
of  foxes.  Mr.  Huntley,  the  owner  of  the  estate,  like  all 
the  other  country  gentlemen  in  the  neighbourhood,  is 
a  zealous  friend  of  the  vulpine  family.  The  most 
perfect  coverts,  perhaps,  in  England  are  to  be  seen  on 
the  property  of  Mr.  Holford  at  Weston  Birt.  The 
attention  bestowed  upon  them  is  extraordinary.  They 
are  composed  of  various  kinds  of  plantation  trees, 
shrubs,  thorns,  and  gorse ;  and  whenever  an  open  or 
bare  space  presents  itself,  some  neighbouring  thorn, 
shrub,  or  a  young  tree  most  suitable  and  convenient,  is 
plashed  down  in  a  manner  similar  to  that  of  laying  a 
hedge,  by  which  the  barren  part  is  covered.  The 
underwood  is  consequently  very  thick,  and  difficult  to 
draw.  They  abound  with  game  and  foxes  to  an  extra- 
ordinary extent ;  and  great  credit  is  due  to  the  keeper, 


THE   BEAUFORT    IN    1852  135 

whose  name  is  Garland,  for  his  exertions  in  earr\'ing 
out  his  master's  wishes. 

To  the  unfeigned  regret  of  every  member  of  the 
hunt,  and  all  others  who  were  accustomed  to  attend  the 
late  duke's  hounds,  his  Grace  was  unable  to  appear  in 
the  field  on  horseback  during  the  season  of  1852  and 
1853,  in  consequence  of  his  old  enemy  the  gout.  But, 
evidently  enlivened  by  and  enjoying  the  cheering 
melody  of  the  hounds,  the  Duke  of  Beaufort  very  fre- 
quently attended  in  a  light  phaeton  drawn  by  a  pair  of 
piebalds,  with  a  postillion  and  an  extra  pair  of  horses 
in  readiness,  with  long  traces,  to  assist  up  the  hills  or 
in  deep  ground,  or  to  exchange  if  the  first  pair  became 
fatigued.  With  an  outrider  to  open  the  gates,  and 
occasionally  lower  the  walls,  over  the  remains  of  which 
the  carriage  was  sometimes  taken,  not  without  some 
apparent  danger,  guided  by  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
the  usual  run  of  the  foxes,  his  Grace  was  enabled  very 
frequently  to  see  a  great  portion  of  a  run. 

The  difficult  position  of  a  master  of  hounds  was 
invariably  maintained  by  the  noble  duke  with  that 
elevated  yet  courteous  authority  in  the  field  for  which 
the  family  has  at  all  times  been  distinguished.  Some 
years  ago  when  the  Marquis  of  Worcester  was  quite  a 
boy,  following  the  hounds  on  a  pony,  an  unmannerly 
individual  caused  him  great  annoyance  by  rudely 
pushing  before  him  at  gateways  and  gaps,  so  much  so 
as  to  induce  the  young  sportsman  to  complain  to  his 
father.  The  duke  desired  the  marquis  to  point  out  the 
person,  upon  which  his  Grace  rode  up  to  the  offender 
and  said,  ''Allow  me  to  introduce  the  Marquis  of 
W^orcester,  and  to  express  a  hope  that  he  may  be  per- 
mitted to  follow  his  father's  hounds  without  molesta- 
tion." 

The  Marquis  of  Worcester  *  is,  doubtless,  as  fond  of 
hunting  as  any  of  his  noble  ancestors,  never  missing  a 
day,  when   the    imperative    duties    of    his   military  ap- 

*  Now   Duke  of  Beaufort. 


136  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

pointment  or  his  senatorial  engagements  will  permit. 
In  the  field  his  lordship  takes  an  active  part,  and  being 
always  well  mounted  invariably  secures  a  good  place 
in  a  run.  His  excellent  judgment  in  horses  is  decided 
bv  the  very  superior  animals  which  he  has  of  late  years 
selected  for  the  hunting  stables. 

The  youthful  Lord  Glamorgan,*  who  has  already 
made  a  good  commencement,  generally  accompanied 
his  noble  grandfather  in  the  phaeton,  with  a  pony  in 
attendance,  and  escorted  by  an  experienced,  careful 
groom.  When  the  hounds  found,  he  mounted  his  steed, 
and,  riding  to  points,  was  enabled  to  see  a  great 
portion  of  a  run,  unless  it  might  be  at  a  very  fast  pace 
with  an  uncommonly  straight-necked  fox.  The  young 
nobleman  evidently  takes  vast  delight  in  all  the  pro- 
ceedings, closely  watching  every  operation  in  the  event 
of  a  fox  being  killed,  and  investigating  every  minutiae 
when  the  hounds  mark  their  game  to  ground.  So  well 
brought  up,  his  lordship  cannot  fail  to  become  a 
talented  sportsman,  t 

*  Now  Marquis  of  Worcester. 

tAt  the  moment  of  these  pages  going  through  the  press,  the  sad 
intelligence  arrived  of  the  dissolution  of  the  Duke  of  Beaufort,  which 
melancholy  event  took  place  at  Badminton  on  the  lith  of  November, 
1853.  His  Grace  had  suffered  considerably  from  his  painful  enemy 
the  gout,  but  immediate  danger  was  not  apprehended  till  the  pre- 
ceding day  when  it  was  found  necessary  to  send  an  express  to  the 
Marquis  of  Worcester,  to  announce  the  dangerous  state  of  his  noble 
father's  health.  With  all  the  celerity  of  railway  communication,  his 
lordship  was  unable  to  reach  home  before  the  vital  spirit  had  fled 
from  its  earthly  tenement. 

If  the  whole  of  this  volume  were  devoted  to  the  purpose,  it 
would  be  insufficient  to  enumerate  the  exalted  and  amiable  virtues 
for  which  the  departed  duke  was  distinguished.  But  when  the  bead 
of  a  noble  family,  with  whose  history  and  fortunes  we  have  for  a 
long  time  been  acquainted,  descends  into  the  tomb,  we  -cannot,  in 
common  with  the  surrounding  neighbours,  fail  to  cherish  the  deepest 
concern  and  sympathy.  That  voluntary  respect  which  is  paid  to  rank 
becomes  mingled  with  courteous  and  afiFectionate  reverence.  The 
mortal    remains    of    Henry,    the    seventh    Duke     of    Beaufort,    were 


WILLIAM    LONG  187 

Upwards  of  half  a  century  passed  in  the  service  of 
one  family  is  of  itself  a  sufficient  circumstance  to  com- 
mand respect;  but  there  are  many  other  events  to  be 
added  in  commendation  of  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's 
huntsman,  Mr.  William  Long.  Skilful  and  experienced 
in  the  field,  he  affords  the  hounds  all  the  assistance 
they  at  any  time  require.  Well  conducted  and  appro- 
priately civil  to  all  classes,  he  has  never  been  known  to 
assume  an  offensive  demeanour.  Of  his  excellent 
judgment  in  breeding  hounds  I  have  already  spoken. 
The  exact  year  when  he  entered  the  establishment  at 
Badminton  I  cannot  state — that  is  immaterial ;  but  I 
remember  his  having  informed  me  he  was  at  the 
funeral  of  the  fifth  duke,  the  founder  of  the  fox-hounds, 
and  that  event  took  place  in  1803,  which  is  my 
authority  for  stating  he  has  been  upwards  of  half  a 
century  in  the  family.*  At  first  he  was  engaged  in  the 
stables,  and,  when  a  boy,  was  employed  in  conveying 
the  letter-bags  to  and  from  the  post.  His  superior  seat 
on  horseback  attracted  attention,  and  when  the  hounds 
were  in  the  Heythrop  country  the  Duke  of  Beaufort 
at  that  time  Marquis  of  Worcester,  being  at  Oxford 
and  always  hunting  when  the  pla-ce  of  meeting  was 
within  reach,  young  Long  was  deputed  to  take  his  lord- 
ship's hunters  to  covert.  About  this  period  John  Wood, 
one  of  the  whippers-in,  met  with  an  accident,  when 
William  Long  was  appointed  to  supply  his  place,  and 

deposited  in  the  family  vault  at  Badminton  on  the  24th  of  November. 
It  was  a  gloomy,  wet,  melancholy  day,  quite  in  accordance  with  the 
mournful  hearts  of  those  who  attended  the  ceremony,  which  was 
conducted  in  the  most  private  manner  consistent  with  the  rank  of 
the  deceased ;  but  a  large  concourse  of  persons  assembled  to  pay 
the  last  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  noble-minded, 
generous  duke,  of  whom  it  may  be  truly  said,  he  was  the  rich  man's 
friend,  the  poor  man's  benefactor. 

*  William  Long  also  attended  the  funeral  of  the  succeeding  Duke 
of  Beaufort;  again  on  the  late  melancholy  occasion;  and,  as  he 
still  continues  in  the  service,  he  claims  the  distinction  of  having 
lived  with  four  generations  of  this  noble  family. 


138  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

he  has  continued  with  the  hounds  ever  since.  He  is 
whipped-in  to  by  a  nephew,  Charles  Long,  a  most  res- 
pectable quiet  man,  and  a  son,  Nimrod,  and  if  he 
becomes  as  good  a  man  as  his  father,  he  will  have  great 
reason  to  be  satisfied  with  his  good  fortune. 

As  a  specimen  of  the  sport  which  the  Duke  of 
Beaufort's  hounds  afford,  I  introduce  the  particulars 
of  two  runs  which  they  had  in  one  day,  the  10th  of 
March,  1853.  It  may  be,  and  doubtless  often  has  been, 
exceeded  in  respect  to  the  time  of  a  single  run,  but 
with  reference  to  the  pace,  the  distance  of  ground 
passed  over,  and  the  two  runs  combined,  it  may  be 
considered  the  perfection  of  a  day's  sport,  and 
thoroughly  in  accordance  with  the  prevailing  taste. 
The  expression  made  use  of  by  my  informant,  who  was 
with  them,  was,  "  they  had  two  good  days'  sport  in 
one."  The  place  of  meeting  was  Yate  Turnpike,  and 
they  found  on  Yate  Common,  went  away  immediately, 
crossing  the  Bristol  road  clos€  by  the  railway  station, 
passed  the  Yate  Colliery,  leaving  the  village  on  the 
right,  making  a  strong  point  for  Mapleridge  Bushes ; 
but  the  pace  was  too  good,  and  the  fox  turned  to  the 
right  over  Sodbury  Ridings  to  the  margin  of  Sodbury 
Common,  leaving  the  town  on  the  right  and  Haines 
Grove  on  the  left ;  over  the  vale  through  Wapley 
Bushes  by  Westerleigh  village,  across  the  Bristol  rail- 
road, and  ran  into  their  fox  in  the  open  a  few  fields 
from  the  Ram-hill  covert  on  Coalpit  Heath.  Time, 
fifty-five  minutes.  The  second  fox  was  found  in  the 
pleasure  grounds  at  Dodington,  the  seat  of  Sir  William 
Codrington,  one  of  the  county  members.  They  went 
away  ver>'  fast  over  the  park,  when  they  crossed  the 
road  leading  from  Bath  to  Tormarton  half  a  mile  on 
the  Bath  side  of  Cross  Hands,  over  the  wall  countr>^ 
for  lies  Quarry,  evidently  intending  to  visit  Bad- 
minton, but  being  hard  pressed,  made  a  short  turn 
before  reaching  New  House  farm,  bearing  to  the  left 
for  Eyegrove,  leaving  the  Plough  and  Cross  Hands  on 
the  left  over  Old  Sodbury  Hill,  and  across  the  Bristol 


A    RUN    WITH    THE    BEAUFORT  139 

road  again  entered  the  vale,  to  Coombend,  and  passing 
close  by  Dodington  House,  gained  the  wood  by 
Dodington  Ash,  and  straight  to  Keynton  Down, 
skirting  Sherril  Bottom,  which  is  a  mile  long 
and  contains  several  main  earths ;  running  parallel  with 
it  made  a  strong  attempt  to  reach  Keynton  Wood, 
when  turning  short  up  for  the  village  succeeded  in 
making  his  point  to  Keynton  Down  Gorse,  but  was 
pressed  through  and  away  over  the  Pucklechurch  road 
near  the  turnpike ;  when  leaving  Tormarton  on  the 
right  they  pulled  him  down  one  field  from  Dodington 
Park  wall.  The  latter  run  occupied  one  hour  and 
seventeen  minutes,  and  the  two  united  being  two  hours 
and  twelve  minutes,  the  whole  at  a  great  pace,  com- 
pleted a  very  severe  day's  work.  The  lady  pack  did 
the  honours  and  were  all  up  at  the  finish,  but  many 
of  the  horses  had  declined  before  they  had  gone  half 
the  distance.  My  friend  observed  that  he  never  saw  so 
many  really  good  horses  completely  beaten  as  he  did 
during  the  last  run.  The  splendid  condition  of  the 
hounds  has  been  a  theme  of  universal  admiration 
throughout  the  season,  and  nothing  short  of  the  acme 
of  perfection  would  have  enabled  them  to  have  tasted 
their  second  fox  on  the  severe  day  mentioned. 


CHAPTER  IX 

CHELTENHAM  AND  V.W.H. 

One  of  the  most  celebrated  packs  of  hounds,  which 
have  been  in  the  possession  of  the  same  proprietor 
during  the  greatest  number  of  years  without  inter- 
mission, is  Earl  Fitzhardinge's.  Mr.  Farquharson  is,  I 
believe,  the  only  other  master  of  hounds  who  has  had 
them  a  similar  length  of  time.  His  lordship  established 
them  during  the  lifetime  of  the  late  Earl  Berkeley, 
which  I  take  from  his  own  words  in  a  speech  made  by 
his  lordship  on  the  occasion  of  a  piece  of  plate  being 
presented  to  him  at  Cheltenham  in  the  spring  of  1852, 
when  he  facetiously  enumerated  some  of  the  difficulties 
he  had  to  encounter  and  gave  an  amusing  account  of 
his  first  day's  sport  in  Newent  Woods  on  the  24th  of 
September,  1808.  Difficulties  which  prove  fatal  to  men 
of  weak  minds  are  incentives  to  greater  exertions  with 
others,  provided  they  are  gifted  with  resolution.  From 
the  following  remarks  made  by  his  lordship  it  will  be 
gleaned  that  he  formed  his  pack  from  drafts  :— "  He 
was  obliged  to  take  what  he  could  get — the  refuse  of 
other  kennels — those  whose  capital  sentence  had  been 
commuted  to  transportation."  It  must  be  universally 
acknowledged  that  under  judicious  treatment  the  con- 
victs became  thoroughly  reclaimed,  and  their  offspring 
distinguished  ornaments  of  the  canine  race.  His  lord- 
ship farther  remarked,  "  but  though  so  untrained, 
there  was  good  stuff  in  them,  and  they  were  the 
ancestors  of  his  present  pack,  which  were  acknowledged 
to  be  good  hounds."  Here  is  the  secret  unravelled,  the 
blood  was  good,  and  "  blood  will  tell,"  whether  it  be 
in  man,  horse,  or  hound.     I  cannot  state  what  kennels 


EARL    FITZHARDINGE'S  141 

were  had  recourse  to  during  the  fir&t  twenty  years  for 
fresh  blood,  but  smce  that  time  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's 
prevailed  extensively,  and  subsequently  the  Duke  of 
Rutland's,  the  Earls  Yarborough's,  Fitzwilliam's,  and 
Ducie's,  Lord  H.  Bentinck's,  Sir  Richard  Sutton's,  and 
the  Warwickshire ;  their  Tarquin  having  found  con- 
siderable favour,  also  a  clever  hound  named  Villager, 
from  Sir  Tatton  Sykes.  The  bitches  have  been  ex- 
clusively bred  in  the  Berkeley  kennels  for  many  years, 
ajid  the  fresh  blood  has  been  obtained  by  the  introduc- 
tion of  stud  hounds.  But  with  such  a  good  sort  in  such 
an  extensive  establishment,  the  necessity  for  resorting 
to  other  kennels  is  not  urgent. 

For  a  combination  of  all  the  perfections  which  are 
capable  of  being  united  in  one  pack.  Earl  Fitzhardinge's 
cannot  be  excelled.  Power,  symmetry,  constitution, 
and  sense,  are  qualities  for  which  they  are  pre-eminent ; 
their  hunting  faculties  cannot  be  surpassed — for  music 
they  have  always  been  celebrated ;  whether  picking  a 
cold  scent  over  the  plough,  racing  over  the  grass,  or 
working  the  intricate  line  of  the  wily  animal  through 
gorse  or  woodland,  they  invariably  speak  to  the  scent. 
The  wonderful  head  they  carry  is  another  subject  for 
admiration.  I  could  not  fail  on  one  occasion  last  season 
observing  the  judicious  system  adopted  to  insure  this 
important  property,  which  is  universally  practised  with 
them.  The  hounds  had  been  running  their  fox  some 
little  time  in  covert,  when  he  broke  over  a  large  grass 
field,  and  was  viewed  by  one  of  the  second  horsemen, 
who  hallooed  him,  upon  which  two  couples  of  hounds 
got  to  the  halloo  in  advance  of  the  pack.  Coming  up 
at  the  moment,  and  therefore  enabled  to  see  this,  Ayris 
stopped  them  from  going  on  with  the  scent  till  the 
body  of  the  pack  arrived — ^a  plan  which  I  am  satisfied 
is  perfectly  correct,  although  I  have  seen  many  hunts- 
men of  celebrity  who  would  go  on  with  one  or  two 
couples  of  hounds,  leaving  the  remainder  to  be  brought 
forward  by  the  whipper-in.  The  motive  for  doing  so  is 
that  one  or  two   couples  of  hounds  being  allowed   to 


142  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

carry  on  the  scent,  will  show  the  line  the  fox  has  taken ; 
yet  it  must  be  remembered  that  hounds  will  not  run 
so  fast  single-handed  as  when  they  are  in  a  body. 
Those  which  have  got  forward  destroy  the  scent  for 
those  which  are  following,  and  if  the  fences  are  strong, 
being  obliged  to  creep,  the  practicability  of  carrying  a 
head  is  defeated.  Moreover,  if  it  happens  that  a  covert 
is  at  hand,  and  the  fox  enters  and  runs  through  it,  the 
difficulty  is  increased,  or  even  if  he  remains  in  the 
covert  there  will  be  much  uncertainty  in  hunting  up  to 
him,  and  a  considerable  time  lost  under  any  circum- 
stances. There  is  also  another  objection,  when  there 
is  a  large  field  of  horsemen  out,  in  the  danger  which 
exists  of  having  hounds  ridden  over  in  their  efforts  to 
work  through  the  crowd.  As  long  as  there  are  hounds 
forward,  every  man  considersi  he  is  justified  in  riding 
to  them;  and  then  the  greater  portion  of  the  pack  is 
among  the  horses. 

Opposed  to  any  frivolous  innovations  or  changes  of 
fashion,  his  lordship  has  adhered  to  one  stamp  of  hound, 
and  by  that  means  they  have  been  brought  to  their 
present  high  state  of  perfection.  It  is  the  frequent 
changes  which  have  taken  place  from  uncontrollable 
causes,  such  as  deaths,  the  retirement  of  masters  of 
hounds,  fresh  huntsmen  and  other  alterations  in  hunting 
establishments,  that  have  ruined  many  of  the  most 
celebrated  packs.  It  is  unfortunate  that  after  many 
of  the  most  superior  packs  have  been  established,  some 
circumstances  have  occurred  to  disperse  them  in  all 
directions.  The  masterly  artists  who  formed  them  no 
longer  preside,  and  under  different  treatment  and 
various  tastes  the  chief  merits  are  lost.  Mr.  MeynelPs, 
Mr.  Corbet's,  Mr.  Osbaldeston's,  Mr.  Lambton's,  and 
Mr.  Drake's,  have  all  suffered  this  unlucky  fate. 

Earl  Fitzhardinge  may  be  said  to  have  three  countries 
— the  Berkeley,  the  Cheltenham,  and  the  Broadway. 
When  his  lordship  first  commenced  he  had  likewise  a 
considerable  extent,  called  the  Corse  Lawn  country, 
between  Gloucester  and  Ledbury,  including  the  Newent 


THE   BERKELEY   VALE  143 

Woods,  which  are  close  to  a  prominent  feature  in 
Gloucestershire  scener^'^  known  as  May  Hill.  This 
district  has  not  been  hunted  by  Lord  Fitzhardinge  for 
many  years,  although  I  am  not  certain  that  it  is'  actually 
given  up ;  it  now  forms  a  principal  portion  of  the  Led- 
bury Hunt.  The  Lords  Berkeley  have  a  grant  to  hunt 
the  wild  cat,  fox,  and  badger  in  the  Forest  of  Dean,  of 
which  they  seem  to  be  hereditary  rangers,  or  nearly  so. 

The  Berkeley  vale  is  principally  grass,  and,  except 
in  very  wet  seasons,  holds  a  capital  scent.  It  is  not 
extensive,  and  is  bounded  on  one  side  by  the  River 
Severn,  on  the  other  by  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's  country. 
For  cub-hunting  and  entering  young  hounds  it  is  very 
superior.  The  hunting  season  always  commences  with 
these  hounds  on  the  1st  of  October,  when  the  place  of 
meeting  is  the  kennel.  They  continue  during  that  month 
at  Berkeley,  and  on  the  1st  of  November  proceed  to 
Cheltenham,  where  they  hunt  out  that  month  ;  in 
December  they  return  to  Berkeley,  remain  there  till 
after  the  festivities  of  Christmas  and  his  lordship's 
birthday,  which  is  on  the  26th,  have  been  duly  honoured, 
when  they  again  visit  Cheltenham  to  commemorate  the 
first  month  of  the  new  year ;  pass  February  at  Berkeley, 
which  concludes  the  season  in  that  country,  and  finally 
wind  up  at  Cheltenham  about  the  middle  of  April. 

A  great  portion  of  the  Cheltenham  country  is  on  the 
Cots  wold  Hills,  commencing  about  three  miles  from  the 
town,  extending  to  Naunton  Inn  on  the  road  to  Stow, 
and  bearing  off  on  the  right  in  the  direction  of  North- 
leach,  including  Star  Wood,  Chedworth  Wood,  and 
Withington,  all  of  which  is  a  stone- wall  country. 
Dumbleton,  on  the  borders  of  Worcestershire,  and  the 
district  eastward  of  Cheltenham,  are  vale,  and  the 
principal  portion  of  the  country  hunted  from  the  Broad- 
way kennel  is  also  vale.  By  a  recent  arrangement, 
Mr.  Villebois,  the  master  of  the  Vale  of  White  Horse, 
is  allowed  to  draw  the  Chedworth  Woods  during  the 
months  when  Earl  Fitzhardinge 's  hounds  are  in  the 
Berkeley  country.     This  is  of  great  advantage  to  all 


144  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

parties ;  it  affords  the  sportsmen  located  at  Cheltenham 
an  opportunity  of  meeting  hounds  when  his  lordship  is 
absent,  and  it  keeps  the  foxes,  which  are  very  numerous, 
in  exercise.  The  Broadway  country  is-  hunted  every 
Saturday  during  the  periods  when  the  hounds  are  at 
the  Cheitenham  kennels.  They  hunt  every  day  in  the 
week  except  Friday,  which  is  occupied  in  travelling  to 
Broadway.  The  best  fixtures  within  reach  of  Chelten- 
ham are  Andoversford,  Pusedown,  Hazleton  Grove, 
Brockhampton,  Naunton  Inn,  Lidcomb,  and  Dumbleton. 
Good  runs  are  often  obtained  from  Norton  and  Down 
Hatherley. 

To  state  that  the  country  is  first  rate  would  be  an 
assertion  not  to  be  borne  out  by  facts,  but  yet  it  affords 
very  suj>erior  sport ;  this  without  some  explanation  may 
appear  paradoxical.  But  it  is  in  consequence  of  the 
excellent  management  of  every  detail  connected  with 
the  chase  that  so  much  good  sport  is  obtained.  From 
the  hounds  to  the  horses  and  the  servajits,  no  establish- 
ment in  England  is  maintained  with  greater  liberality 
or  directed  with  greater  ability.  Earl  Fitzhardinge's 
extensive  landed  estates  and  numerous  tenantry  presicnt 
opportunities  for  putting  out  a  greater  number  of 
puppies  than  almost  any  other  master  of  hounds  enjoys ; 
and  the  walks  are  of  the  best  description,  nearly  all  of 
them  being  at  dairy  farms.  The  horses  are  of  first-rate 
character;  some  of  them  are  bred  at  Berkeley,  but  in 
this  I  believe  his  lordship  has  not  been  very  fortunate. 
Independently  of  a  second  horse  for  the  earl,  there  is 
always  one  out  for  the  huntsman  and  another  for  the 
first  whip,  besides  which  there  is  a  man  constantly  in 
attendance  with  the  hounds,  whose  business  it  is  to  ride 
and  make  the  young  horses. 

Till  within  the  last  few  years,  Earl  Fitzhardinge 
always  hunted  the  hounds  himself,  attended  by  Henr^- 
Ayris,  to  whom  that  office  is  now  deputed.  Ayris  was 
first  entered  to  hounds  by  Captain  Freeman  in  Berk- 
shire ;  he  was  engaged  as  whipper-in  at  Berkeley  in 
1826,  and  in  a  few  years  was  promoted  to  the  post  which 


JERRY   HAWKINS  145 

he  now  holds.  In  the  field  and  in  the  kennel  his  talent 
is  well  known ;  out  of  it,  a  more  steady,  well-conducted, 
civil,  obliging,  and  resipectable  man  cannot  exist.  The 
two  whippers-in  are  Charles  Turner,  from  the  Ledbury, 
and  John  Cummings,  from  the  Lyneham. 

The  average  number  of  foxes  killed  in  each  season 
may  be  estimated  at  rather  more  than  fifty-five  brace ; 
they  certainly  increase  annually,  making  allowance  for 
variations  in  bad  j^ears,  such  as  that  of  1851  and  1852. 
It  is  impossible  they  should  be  preserved  with  greater 
attention  in  any  hunt.  With  the  exception  of  one 
individual  in  the  Broadway  country,  whose  name  is  not 
worthy  to  be  mentioned,  there  is  not  a  landed  pro- 
prietor, game  preserver,  or  farmer,  who  is  not  favour- 
ably disposed  towards  fox-hunting;  although  very  few 
of  the  latter  class  join  in  the  chase. 

There  is  certainly  no  rank  or  station  in  life  which  is 
not  represented  in  the  hunting-field,  and  this  country 
affords  an  example  in  the  extraordinary  zeal  and 
devotion  of  four  decided  characters,  who  seem  to  form 
the  link.  Three  of  them  are  gone,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  to 
the  land  where  '  all  good  hunters  go.'  The  first  of 
these  whom  I  shall  introduce  is  Mr.  Jerry  Hawkins, 
better  known  in  his  own  neighbourhood  as  '  Jerry 
Hawkins,'  one  of  that  respectable  class  commonly 
denominated  gentlemen  farmers.  He  lived  on  his  own 
estate,  and  devoted  all  his  energies  to  fox-hunting;  any 
other  species  of  hunting  he  held  in  sovereign  contempt. 
If  the  likeness  of  a  sportsman  on  horseback  is  seen  por- 
trayed on  an  ale-jug  or  cider-cup  of  the  old-fashioned 
brown  ware,  it  may  be  taken  for  granted  to  be  a  repre- 
sentation of  Jerry  Hawkins,  in  the  height  of  enthusiasm, 
riding  well  up  to  the  leading  hounds,  just  as  they  are 
running  from  scent  to  view  into  their  beaten  fox. 

Many  characteristic  anecdotes  are  related  of  this 
worthy  sportsman,  but  I  shall  confine  myself  to  one 
circumstance  only  which  marks  so  strongly  his  ardent 
devotion  to  the  chase.  Some  years  before  his  death  he 
built  a  kind  of  tower  or  observatory  on  his  property  at 

K 


146  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

the  Haw,  in  the  most  commanding  situation,  from 
whence  he  could  obtain  a  view  of  the  surrounding 
country ;  so  that  if  from  old  age  or  sickness  he  might 
not  be  able  to  follow  hounds  on  horseback,  he  would  be 
able  to  mount  his  observatory  and  watch  their  pro- 
ceedings. It  was  an  extraordinary  precedent,  evincing 
circumspection  and  provision  for  the  enjoyment  of  his 
only  earthly  Paradise  in  the  event  of  accident  or  infir- 
mity. This  worthy,  kind-hearted,  highly-respected, 
enthusiastic  sportsman  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-one 
in  the  year  1835,  without,  I  am  informed,  ever  having 
made  use  of  his  eccentric  Pegasus. 

Contemporary  with  Jerry  Hawkins  was  Mr.  Fretwell, 
usually  known  as  Tommy  Fretwell,  who  was  also  at  one 
period  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  which,  however, 
he  relinquished  many  years  since  to  enjoy  the  society 
of  his  friends  at  Cheltenham,  where  at  one  period  he 
had  the  management  of  a  i>ack  of  harriers.  His  name 
is  recorded  by  the  Poet  Goulbum  in  his  exquisitely 
amusing  ajid  sporting  poem.  The  Epivell  Hunt,  de- 
scriptive of  a  run  in  Warwickshire  with  the  late  Mr. 
Corbet's  hounds  after  a  second  fox  from  Epwell  to 
Heythrop  in  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's  Hunt,  over  a 
country  twenty-three  miles  in  extent,  wherein  divers 
disasters  '  by  flood  and  field  '  are  humourously  ex- 
pressed. After  describing  the  finding  of  this  second  fox 
and  the  line  he  took,  the  poet  continues  : — 

"  From  thence,  quite  determined  to  give  us  our  fill, 
For  Swarford  he  made,  and  went  right  up  the  hill, 
Cross'd  the  road  at  a  speed  that  made  some  people  stare, 
And  was  fatal,  poor  Fretwell,  alas!  to  your  mare." 

The  decease  of  this  worthy  specimen  of  the  fox- 
hunter  of  the  '  olden  time  '  took  place  on  the  4th  of 
May,  1848,  to  the  great  regret  of  all  his  brother  sports- 
men.   He  was  buried  at  Fladbury. 

Whoever  has  hunted  at  Cheltenham  must  have  met 
with  the  well-known  Jem  Hastings.  His  history  is 
singular.     He  was  a  man  of  respectable  family,  his  pre- 


JEM  HASTINGS  147 

decessors  having  been  claimants  for  the  Huntingdon 
peerage,  upon  which  unsuccessful  claim  they  expended 
nearly  the  whole  of  their  substance,  leaving  the  subject 
of  this  memoir  in  reduced  circumstances,  and  he  was 
brought  up  as  a  tailor.  He  seems,  however,  to  have 
had  '  hunting  blood  '  in  his  veins,  and  preferred  the 
chase  of  the  fox  to  handling  the  goose.  He  followed 
Lord  Fitzhardinge's  hounds  about  five  and  twenty 
years,  and  always  on  foot ;  for  whether  it  was  in  associ- 
ation with  his  trade  or  not  I  cannot  say,  but  he  had  an 
unconquerable  aversion  to  the  pig-skin. 

One  of  his  first  personal  essays  of  a  sporting  nature 
was  a  frolic  which  had  nearly  resulted  in  a  fatal  con- 
clusion. Jem  owned  a  terrier  dog,  and  while  one  of  the 
London  coaches  was  changing  horses  in  the  High  Street 
of  Cheltenham,  he  applied  '  a  drag  '  not  to  the  wheel 
but  to  the  hinder  part  of  the  vehicle,  in  the  form  of  a 
red-herring;  when  the  coach  started,  he  laid  the  terrier 
on  the  scent.  He  was  soon  joined  by  every  cur  and 
mongrel  on  the  line,  and  Jem  cheering  on  his  pack, 
they  entered  the  Gloucester  road  in  full  cry.  Excited 
by  the  novelty  of  the  pursuit  the  horses  became  un- 
manageable, and  things  began  to  wear  a  serious  aspect, 
but  '  the  mixed  pack  '  succeeded  in  running  the  coach 
to  ground  in  a  ditch  near  the  Pheasant  public  house, 
without  any  serious  accident. 

The  extraordinary  distances  which  he  has  travelled 
apj>ear  almost  incredible;  they  are,  nevertheless,  incon- 
testibly  correct.  On  one  occasion,  the  hounds  being 
at  Berkeley,  he  walked  from  Cheltenham  to  the 
kennels,  five  and  twenty  miles,  when  he  found  they 
were  gone  to  Haywood,  beyond  Thornbury,  nine 
miles  further,  to  which  place  he  followed  them,  and 
was  in  time  to  see  the  day's  sport.  The  most  wonder- 
ful performance  was  one  day  when  they  were  in  the 
Broadway  country.  He  walked  from  Cheltenham, 
which  is  sixteen  miles,  and  on  to  the  covert  side,  a 
moiety  of  that  distance ;  he  followed  the  hounds  all 
day,   and   was  with  them   when  they  killed   their  fox 


U8  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

after  a  run  of  twelve  miles.  He  then  went  back  to 
Broadway,  twenty  miles,  and  from  thence  to  Chelten- 
ham. Not  contented  with  this,  by  way  of  finishing  the 
day  he  went  badger-hunting  at  night  in  Queen's  Wood 
and  West  Wood,  adding  some  eight  or  ten  miles  to  his 
day's  work ;  and  in  the  course  of  the  time  he  must  have 
gone  over  upwards  of  eighty  miles  of  ground.  Of  what 
use  would  a  railway  have  been  to  such  an  untiring 
specimen  of  human  nature?  In  1851,  'he  shuffled  off 
his  mortal  coil,'  and  was  '  earthed'  in  Charlton  Church- 
yard. 

Samuel  Cornock,  frequently  announced  as  "  Mister 
Samuel  Cornock  of  North  Nibley,  near  Berkeley,  in  the 
county  of  Gloucester,"  is  another  of  those  persons  in 
whom  the  love  of  hunting  prevails  above  all  other  con- 
siderations. Sammy  boasts  of  no  aristocratic  parentage, 
his  father  having  been  a  weaver,  an  occupation  which 
prevails  extensively  in  the  clothing  districts  of  the 
west.  At  an  early  age  he  was  apt  to  get  off  self- 
hunting  with  the  hounds  kept  by  the  late  Earl 
Berkeley,  when  they  were  in  their  home  country-,  for 
which  insubordination  his  father  was  wont  to  hunt  him 
round  the  room  with  a  stick ;  but  the  earl,  noticing  the 
boy,  often  gave  him  a  shilling,  which  had  the  effect  of 
a  peace-offering  with  his  parents.  He  attends  the  Earl 
Fitzhardinge's  hounds  when  in  the  Berkeley  countr>% 
but  has  seldom  gone  to  Cheltenham ;  and  when  they 
are  absent,  '  he  hunts  with  the  duke  ;  '  his  costume  is 
the  coat  of  whichever  hunt  is  honoured  by  his  presence 
— ^a  present  of  course  from  one  of  the  members ;  the 
skirts  of  which  he  preserves  with  great  diligence 
and  care  by  fastening  them  in  front  to  prevent  their 
being  splashed  ;  a  white  '  tile  '  surmounts  the  whole. 
He  mentions  having  gone,  some  years  since,  to  meet  the 
Duke  of  Beaufort's  hounds  at  Draycott  Park,  more 
than  eighteen  miles  'to  covert.'  They  had  a  capital 
run  with  their  first  fox,  which  they  killed,  and  they  ran 
a  second  a  considerable  time  when,  having  ten  miles  to 
trudge  home,  he  left   them.       This,  he  says,  was  the 


SAMUEL    CORNOCK  149 

hardest  day's  work  he  ever  experienced.  He  had  gone 
twenty  miles  to  meet  hounds  in  the  morning,  with 
the  same  distance  to  return ;  but  he  does  not  appear 
ever  to  have  accomphshed  the  feat  of  his  contemporary 
Jem  Hastings. 

Not  to  be  behind  in  the  fashion,  Mister  Samuel 
Cornock  visited  the  Exhibition,  availing  himself  of  the 
opportunity  of  paying  his  respects  to  his  aristocratic 
sporting  patrons.  On  the  day  on  which  her  Majesty 
attended  to  close  the  Session  of  Parliament,  a  noble 
lord  introduced  him  to  the  care  of  a  policeman,  in  order 
that  he  might  be  placed  in  a  situation  where  he  would 
most  advantageously  '  see  and  be  seen.'  Attired  in  the 
coat  of  the  Berkeley  Hunt,  which  is  of  scarlet  with  a 
black  velvet  collar,  having  a  flying  fox  embroidered 
thereon  in  silver  and  gold,  a  pair  of  white  cords  and 
new  leggings,  he  failed  not  to  attract  notice ;  albeit  it 
is  reported  that  some  of  the  ignorant  cockney  juveniles 
who  swarm  on  such  occasions  accosted  him  with  their 
impudent  slang,  in  the  supposition  that  he  was  a  rat- 
catcher. He  was  safely  conducted  into  the  park  by  his 
friendly  guide  the  policeman,  and  placed  between  two 
Life-guardsmen,  with  instructions  from  a  high  author- 
ity that  they  should  preserve  such  space  for  Mister 
Samuel  Cornock  of  North  Nibley  as  would  protect  him 
from  inconvenience.  Thus  guarded,  he  awaited  the 
approach  of  the  royal  carriage,  upon  which  he  took  off 
his  hat,  and  waving  it  with  an  attitude  similar  to  that 
which  he  would  adopt  when  endeavouring  to  cap  the 
hounds  to  a  scent,  gave  three  hearty  and  loyal  view- 
halloos,  which  he  declares,  and  no  doubt  conscientiously 
believes,  her  Majesty  was  graciously  pleased  to  acknow- 
ledge with  smiling  approbation. 

The  Earl  Fitzhardinge's  hunting  appointments  not 
being  advertised  in  the  Berkeley  country,  Sammy  is 
employed  to  make  them  known  to  the  gentlemen  who 
reside  in  the  neighbourhood ;  for  which  and  other 
similar  services  he  is  liberally  remunerated  by  his  lord- 
ship, independently  of  the  presents  which  he  receives. 


150  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

What  was  Cheltenham  when  Earl  Fitzhardinge,  then 
Colonel  Berkeley,  first  hunted  the  countr>^  ?  And  what 
would  Cheltenham  now  he,  compared  with  what  it  is, 
had  it  not  been  for  his  lordship's  patronage  and  in- 
fluence, and  the  attraction  of  his  lordship's  hounds  ?  I 
can  remember  the  place  when,  as  a  schoolboy,  I  spent 
part  of  the  mid-summer  holidays  there  in  1816,  which 
was  a  few  years  after  his  lordship  commenced  huntmg 
the  country.  The  High  Street  formed  the  principal 
portion  of  the  embryo  town,  and,  with  the  exception  of 
a  few  small,  straggling  houses,  did  not  extend,  in  the 
direction  of  the  London  road,  further  than  the  Plough 
Hotel.  It  is  not  necessary  to  describe  Cheltenham  as 
it  now  stands ;  neither  will  I  go  so  far  as  to  assert  that 
it  would  not  have  increased  in  size  very  considerably 
even  if  Lord  Fitzhardinge  had  not  given  it  his  supjxDrt ; 
but  it  certainly  would  not  have  increased  to  anything 
like  its  present  extent,  or  with  equal  rapidity,  had  it 
not  been  fostered  by  his  lordship.  As  it  became  a 
hunting  quarter,  many  gentlemen  made  it,  if  not  their 
usual,  at  all  events  their  winter  residence.  Thus  society 
increased ;  and  the  town,  which,  as  a  fashionable 
watering  place,  was  only  frequented  during  a  few 
months,  in  course  of  time  was  made  a  place  of  resort 
throughout  the  whole  year.  Here  all  classes,  from  the 
peer  to  the  retired  tradesman,  may  meet  with  society 
suitable  to  their  condition. 

At  all  times  considerate  of  the  welfare  of  Chelten- 
ham, Earl  Fitzhardinge  has  countenanced  a  pack  of 
stag-hounds,  to  fill  up  the  interregnum  when  his  own 
hounds  are  absent,  and  has  always  been  very  liberal  in 
supplying  them  with  deer.  This  year  they  have  been 
discontinued.  His  lordship  never  kept  racehorses, 
although  friendly  disposed  to  the  race-meetings,  and 
strongly  opposed  to  the  tenets  of  those  who  at  one  time 
denounced  them,  and,  in  fact,  all  other  manly  and 
national  amusements.  The  Cheltenham  Steeple  Chases 
were  formerly  sanctioned  by  his  lordship  giving  several 
cups  to  be  run  for,  with  the  view,  no  doubt,  that  it 


CHANGES   IN  WORCESTERSHIRE  151 

would  confer  a  benefit  on  the  town ;  but  this  custom 
has  been  abandoned  for  some  years,  which,  when  the 
practices  connected  with  steeple-chasing  are  considered, 
is  a  result  not  calculated  to  create  any  surprise.  The 
sporting  community  resorting  to  Cheltenham  have  on 
two  occasions  expressed  their  acknowledgments  of  his 
lordship's  kindness  and  liberality  in  hunting  the  country 
by  the  presentation  of  pieces  of  plate ;  the  first  in  the 
year  1826,  and  the  other  in  1852.  There  are,  however, 
many  others  whose  interests  are  immediately  blended 
with  the  prosperity  of  Cheltenham,  from  whom  some 
similar  expressions  of  gratitude  and  respect  would  not 
be  inappropriate. 

Previously  to  the  Earl  Fitzhardinge  commencing  to 
keep  hounds,  part  of  the  country  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Corse  Lawn  was  hunted  by  Major  Bland,  who  also 
hunted  a  considerable  portion  of  Worcestershire ;  a 
countrj'^  which  has  not  been  without  hounds  for  many 
years,  and,  although  a  provincial  district,  is  capable  of 
affording  much  sport.  After  having  the  Quom  hounds 
two  seasons,  the  late  Lord  Foley  hunted  the  Worcester- 
shire country  a  similar  i>eriod.  Richard  Foster 
officiated  as  huntsman,  and  he  was  for  many  years 
afterwards  with  the  H.H.  in  the  same  capacity. 
Colonel  Newnham  had  the  hounds  several  seasons  till 
1818,  on  whose  retirement  Mr.  Hornyhold  took  them 
and  afforded  a  vast  deal  of  sport.  Kit  Atkinson  was 
the  huntsman,  John  King  first  and  Joe  Maiden  the 
second  whip.  Having  hunted  the  country  five  seasons, 
and  also  occasionally  that  portion  of  what  is  now  called 
the  Albrighton,  in  the  vicinity  of  Stew  Poney,  to  the 
great  regret  of  all  the  sporting  inhabitants  Mr.  Homy- 
hold  broke  up  his  establishment. 

A  subscription,  zealously  encouraged  by  Lord  Deer- 
hurst,  was  then  entered  into,  and  the  country  placed 
under  the  management  of  Mr.  Parker,  who  with 
slender  means  contrived  to  get  together  a  scratch  pack. 
The  kennels  during  the  first  five  years  were  at 
Whittington,  two  miles  from  Worcester,  on  the  Pershore 


152  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

road,  but  were  subsequently  removed  to  Malvern 
Wells.  He  hunted  them  himself,  and  although  but 
indifferently  mounted  was  a  first-rate  man  over  a 
country,  and  had  it  not  been  from  want  of  that  which 
is  absolutely  essential  in  a  fox-hunting  establishment, 
would  have  shown  above  the  average  of  masters  of 
hounds.  Struggling  in  difficulties,  he  kept  them  on  till 
the  spring  of  1832,  when  from  want  of  funds  they  were 
given  up. 

Mr.  Clutton  Brock  then  came  forward,  and  with  an 
increased  subscription  undertook  the  management.  A 
kennel  was  provided  at  Henwick,  and  the  horses  were 
kept  in  Worcester.  William  Carter  was  engaged  as 
huntsman,  and  a  fair  average  amount  of  sport  followed ; 
but  the  subscriptions  not  being  adequate  to  the 
expenditure  in  the  course  of  four  seasons,  Mr.  Brock 
signified  his  intention  of  resigning.  Under  these  cir- 
cumstances, considering  the  deficiency  of  subscription, 
the  indifference  of  several  landed  proprietors,  and  the 
known  hostility  of  one  to  the  preservation  of  foxes  in 
his  coverts,  which  are  in  the  very  centre  of  the  country, 
it  was  apprehended  there  would  be  no  hounds. 

At  the  eleventh  hour  Captain  Candler  came  forward 
and  offered  his  services,  which  were  gladly  accepted. 
This  gentleman  had  been  for  several  years  a  resident 
in  the  county,  occasionally  appearing  in  the  field, 
without,  as  it  was  supposed,  taking  any  interest  in 
hounds  or  hunting,  but  he  was  much  esteemed  for  his 
friendly  and  social  disposition.  A  naval  officer  un- 
initiated in  the  mysteries  of  kennel  details  had  neces- 
sarily many  difficulties  opposed  to  him ;  however,  in 
the  field  his  management  was  most  successful.  He  had 
a  humorous  and  kind  word  for  every  one  he  met  with, 
and  was  especially  popular  with  the  farmers ;  thus  he 
succeeded  in  keeping  the  country  together  ten  seasons, 
when  he  sold  his  hounds  to  Mr.  Davenport,  who  about 
that  time  established  the  North  Staffordshire  Hunt. 
Captain  Candler  resided  at  Newland,  five  miles  from 
Worcester,  on  the  road  to  Malvern,  where  the  kennels 


THE    VALE    OF    WHITE    HORSE  153 

were  situated.  Carter  hunted  the  hounds  during  the 
first  five  or  six  seasons,  and  Grant,  who  had  previously 
lived  with  Lord  Kintore,  the  remainder  of  the  time. 

The  Worcestershire  country  was  then  taken  in  hand 
by  a  committee,  of  whom  Mr.  Cookes  and  Mr.  Edward 
Dixon  were  the  active  members.  Kennels  were  then 
built  at  Rankswood,  a  short  distance  on  the  east  of  the 
ancient  city;  and  they  are  very  central.  This  lasted 
only  about  three  or  four  seasons,  when  Colonel  Clowes 
came  forward,  and  has  had  the  management  ever  since. 
I  have  never  seen  the  hounds  since  that  gentleman  has 
had  them,  but  from  report  am  led  to  believe  they  are  a 
veiy  effective,  useful  lot.  William  Stansby,  who  was 
for  many  years  first  whip  at  Badminton,  has  hunted  the 
Worcestershire  hounds  several  seasons  with  great 
success,  and  cannot  fail  to  know  the  essential  qualities 
of  a  fox-hound,  and  the  necessity  for  condition.  The 
second  whip  is  spoken  of  in  high  terms  for  his  assiduous 
attention  to  the  hounds,  and  observance  of  his  duties 
in  assisting  the  huntsman.  Worcestershire  is  indiffer- 
ently circumstanced  with  respect  to  walks;  recourse 
must  therefore  be  had  to  other  kennels  for  young 
hounds,  and  an  annual  draft  from  Earl  Fitzhardinge 
has  assisted  in  making  up  the  deficiency. 

Very  few  countries  present  greater  attractions  for 
fox-hunting  than  the  Vale  of  White  Horse,  and  this 
arises  from  two  causes — the  natural  capabilities  of  the 
country,  and  the  celebrity  of  the  masters  of  hounds, 
who  have  at  various  times  occupied  it.  I  understand 
it  has  been  enlivened  with  the  cheering  notes  of  horn 
and  hound  from  a  very  early  date ;  but  by  whom  it  was 
hunted  I  am  not  in  a  position  to  state  (unless  it  was  by 
the  late  Lord  Berkeley),  prior  to  Mr.  Codrington,  who 
commenced  in  or  about  the  year  1818.  This  gentleman 
has  been  represented  as  a  very  superior  sportsman  of  his 
day,  and  he  continued  till  1824,  when  Mr.  Harvey 
Coombe  entered  upon  it  and  hunted  it  conjointly  with 
the  Old  Berkeley  for  three  seasons.  Lord  Kintore  had 
it  a  similar  period,  when  the  late  Earl  Ducie,  then  the 


164  RECORDS    OF   TBGE   CHASE 

Honourable  Henry  Moreton,  succeeded,  which  brings  us 
to  the  year  1880,  and  it  was  during  the  latter  pari;  of 
the  time  his  lordship  hunted  it  that  I  had  several  op- 
portunities of  meeting  the  hounds  from  Cheltenham. 
Lord  Ducie  engaged  in  an  arduous  undertaking — that 
of  forming  a  pack  from  drafts.  He  had,  however,  an 
able  assistant  in  Jem  Hills  as  first  whipper-in,  till  the 
establishment  of  the  Heythrop  hounds,  when  he  left 
the  Vale  of  White  Horse,  to  become  huntsman  to  the 
former  pack.  Thomson  and  John  Grant  were  then  en- 
gaged to  turn  the  hounds  to  his  lordship's  horn. 

The  first  kennel  which  these  hounds  occupied  was  at 
Farringdon;  but  subsequently  they  were  removed  to 
new  ones  built  at  the  entrance  to  Oakley  Park,  about 
a  mile  from  Cirencester,  and  they  have  been  occupied 
ever  since.  Lord  Ducie  commenced  principally  with 
drafts  from  the  Duke  of  Beaufort,  Mr.  Osbaldeston, 
and  Mr.  Thomas  Assheton  Smith.  The  blood  of  Mr. 
Osbaldeston 's  kennel  was  in  great  favour,  and  of  late 
years  much  of  Mr.  Horlock's  was  introduced.  His  lord- 
ship's taste  was  for  large,  slashing  hounds,  and  he 
appeared  to  adopt  as  the  model  the  largest  of  Mr. 
Osbaldeston 's  and  the  most  symmetrical  of  Mr. 
Horlock's.  They  were  more  distinguishable  for  useful- 
ness than  beauty. 

Many  masters  of  hounds,  especially  young  beginners, 
fall  into  great  error  by  drafting  too  much  for  appear- 
ances. It  is  much  easier  to  breed,  or  to  form  a  pack 
from  drafts  that  shall  be  unexceptionable  to  the  eye, 
than  it  is  to  get  together  such  as  are  intrinsically  good. 
To  effect  all  the  combinations  of  suj>eriority  requires 
time,  money,  and  experience.  Any  man  accustomed 
to  hounds  may  go  into  a  strange  kennel  and  select 
those  which  are  the  handsomest,  but  it  is  impossible 
for  him  to  choose  the  best  workers  and  such  as  are 
most  useful  in  killing  foxes  without  seeing  them  in  the 
field  and  knowing  something  of  their  blood;  even  then 
unless  he  possess  considerable  judgment,  he  will  not  be 
able  to  form  a  correct  opinion. 


LORD   DUCIE  155 

It  has  been  remarked  by  a  very  excellent  judge  that 
to  be  perfect  a  pack  should  consist  of  hounds  gifted 
with  various  accomplishments.  This  observation  is 
extremely  just,  providing  vices  are  carefully  excluded. 
There  are  hounds  very  clever  at  finding  their  foxes 
which  are  not  very  superior  in  chase ;  others  good  in 
chase  which  have  not  the  notion  of  finding ;  some  which 
can  pick  out  a  very  cold  scent  which  are  not  famed  for 
speed — qualities  which  are  often  hereditary.  The 
happy  combination  of  individuals  gifted  with  different 
properties  constitute  an  effective  pack ;  for  it  is  rarely 
to  be  found  that  all  the  good  qualities  are  centred  in 
one  hound ;  and  if  a  young  beginner  can  attain  what  is 
requisite  towards  finding  and  killing  his  foxes,  he  must 
be  contented  to  compromise  a  little  with  appearances. 

Lord  Ducie's  zeal  in  hunting  the  country  was  un- 
bounded, and  unfortunately  it  was  too  great  for  his 
constitution.  Frequently  travelling  long  distances  to 
covert,  generally  in  an  open  gig,  sometimes  borrowing 
a  few  hours  from  the  night,  exposed  to  the  wet,  in  that 
state  having  to  encounter  the  exertion  of  hunting  his 
own  hounds,  with  a  constitutional  predisposition  to 
gout,  rheumatic  disorders  ensued,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1842  his  lordship  lent  his  hounds  to  Lord  Henry 
Bentinck,  in  the  hope  that  rest  might  restore  his  health 
— a  hope,  however,  that  was  unfortunately  never  realised. 
Devotedly  attached  to  rural  engagements.  Lord  Ducie 
turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  con- 
ferred lasting  obligations  on  the  farming  community  by 
his  excellent  judgment  and  example,  till  on  the  2nd  of 
June,  1853,  his  lordship  departed  this  life  at  his  seat 
Tortworth,  Gloucestershire,  to  the  infinite  regret  of  the 
surrounding  neighbourhood. 

The  second  year  of  Lord  Ducie*s  hunting  the  country 
a  considerable  alteration  was  made  in  the  extent  of  it. 
In  fact  it  was  divided,  when  a  new  one  was  established, 
and  hunted  with  a  subscription  by  Mr.  Parker,  but 
only  for  one  season,  when  it  was  taken  by  Lord  Radnor, 
subsequently  by  Mr.  Moreland,  and  is  now  hunted  by 


156  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

Mr.  Morrel.  This  is  what  is  called  the  Old  Berkshire 
country.  Some  misunderstanding  as  to  the  limits  took 
place  during  the  period  Lord  Gifford  hunted  the  Vale 
of  White  Horse,  which,  being  settled,  it  is  unnecessary 
to  explain.  The  present  boundaries  may  be  thus 
described.  Aids  worth  is  the  extreme  northern  point 
of  meeting,  where  the  Heythrop  country  joins,  bearing 
off  in  an  easterly  direction.  The  River  Cole  forms  the 
line  of  demarcation  on  the  extreme  east  from  the  Old 
Berkshire ;  Wroughton  and  Burdrope  Park  are  the 
furthermost  fixtures  on  the  south,  about  five  miles 
from  which  is  Albourne  Chase,  in  the  Craven  Hunt. 
Charlton  Park,  Crudwell,  and  Jackaments  Bottom  join 
on  the  south-west  and  west  with  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's 
country;  when,  bearing  from  west  to  north-west,  comes 
Earl  Fitzhardinge's  Cheltenham  district.  Foss  Cross 
is  the  usual  place  of  meeting,  when  the  Vale  of  White 
Horse  hounds  draw  his  lordship's  Chedworth  and 
Withington  Woods. 

There  are  several  places  of  meeting  which  may  be 
readily  reached  from  London  by  the  Great  W^estern 
Railway,  especially  those  which  are  near  to  Swindon, 
Purton,  and  Minety  stations,  the  principal  of  which  are 
Wroughton,  Stratton,  Lydiard  Park,  Cold  Harbour, 
Red  Lodge,  Minety  Pound,  Eastcourt,  Crudwell,  and 
Charlton  Turnpike.  Any  London  sportsman  w^ho  has 
not  visited  this  countr>^  will  be  amply  repaid  for  a 
trifling  additional  expense  and  exertion  in  reaching  it. 

Lord  Gifford,  who  had  the  year  previously 
established  a  pack  of  hounds  to  hunt  the  Ludlow 
country,  removed  them  into  the  Vale  of  White  Horse  in 
1842,  and  occupied  the  same  kennels,  stables,  and 
premises  which  Lord  Ducie  had  used.  No  country 
could  be  better  adapted  for  Lord  Gifford  than  this, 
neither  could  any  one  be  better  adapted  for  the  country 
than  his  lordship,  who  of  course  hunted  the  hounds 
himself  and  was  whipped-in  to  by  John  Grant,  who  had 
been  in  Lord  Ducie 's  service  many  years  previously  to 
his  being  entered  as  a  whipper-in.    The  most  severe  day 


LORD    GIFFORD  157 

I  ever  saw  with  hounds  was  with  Lord  Gifford's  on  the 
27th  of  February,  1843.  They  met  at  Crudwell,  where 
they  found.  I  was  not  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the 
country  to  register  the  precise  Une  at  the  time,  but 
they  ran  to  Somerford  Common,  Webb's  Wood,  Flax- 
land,  Ravenroost,  Red  Lodge,  Minety,  and  finally 
whipped  off  at  dark  when  running  for  Charlton  Pond ; 
having  been  hard  at  work  upwards  of  four  hours,  and 
the  land  being  very  wet  and  deep,  much  distress  pre- 
vailed among  the  horses. 

During  the  three  years  which  Lord  Gifford  hunted 
the  country  the  sport  was  very  superior.  His  lordship's 
best  energies  were  zealously  devoted  to  the  service  ; 
with  John  Grant  for  his  whipper-in  it  was  not  possible 
to  conceive  anything  more  effective ;  and  every  sports- 
man in  the  hunt  felt  serious  regret  when  the  noble  lord 
expressed  his  intention  to  resign. 

The  management  of  the  hounds  then  devolved  on  a 
committee,  with  Mr.  Cripps  as  master  of  the  cere- 
monies in  the  field  ;  and,  subsequently,  Mr.  Barker. 
John  Grant  was  engaged  as  huntsman  the  first  season, 
after  which  he  went  to  Lord  Parker  till  1847,  when 
his  old  master,  Lord  Gifford,  taking  the  H.  H.,  he 
was  again  engaged  to  whip-in  to  his  lordship.  Grant 
was  succeeded  in  the  Vale  of  White  Horse  establishment 
by  John  Dinnicombe,  who  remained  there  till  after 
Mr.  Villebois  took  the  country,  which  was  in  1850. 
Boothroyd,  on  the  Donnington  country  being  re-united 
with  the  Quorn,  hunted  Mr.  Villebois'  hounds  one 
season  ;  and  in  1852  Christopher  Atkinson,  more  com- 
monly known  by  the  name  of  Kit,  who  had  whipped-in 
some  twelve  or  thirteen  years  in  Earl  Fitzhardinge's 
establishment,  was  engaged  as  huntsman.  His  career, 
poor  fellow,  was  a  short  one.  He  died,  after  a  short 
illness,  on  the  30th  November,  1853. 

Last  season  was  Kit's  first  essay  as  huntsman,  and 
report  spoke  highly  in  his  praise.  It  sometimes  happens 
that  a  verv^  superior  whipper-in  makes  but  an  indifferent 
huntsman  ;  but  Kit  had  every  opportunity  of  gaining 


158  RECORDS   OF   THE    CHASE 

experience.  His  father,  who  was  a  thorough-bred 
Yorkshireman,  at  an  early  age  entered  into  the  service 
of  Sir  BelHngham  Graham,  and  whipped-in  to  the 
baronet,  I  beheve,  first  of  all  in  the  Badsworth,  and 
afterwards  in  the  Atherstone  country.  When  Mr. 
Hornyhold  took  the  Worcestershire  hounds  he  engaged 
the  elder  Kit  as  huntsman,  and  upon  that  gentleman's 
resignation  he  went  to  the  Surrey  Union ;  from  thence 
to  Mr.  now  Lord,  Portman,  in  Dorsetshire,  where  he 
first  entered  his  son  in  the  mysteries  of  woodcraft. 
When  scarcely,  if  any,  more  than  fourteen  years  of 
age,  he  officiated  as  whipper-in  to  his  father. 

However  the  celebrated  masters  of  this  hunt  have  dis- 
tinguished themselves  for  liberality,  talent,  and  en- 
thusiastic zeal  to  afford  sport,  none  can  have  excelled 
Mr.  Villebois,  the  gentleman  who  now  hunts  the 
country.  He  is  the  nephew  of  two  masters  of  fox- 
hounds whose  names  have  long  been  renowned — the  late 
Mr.  J.  Villebois,  who  hunted  the  Hampshire,  and  Mr. 
F.  Villebois,  the  Craven  countries.  This  gentleman's 
father  also  kept  stag-hounds.  Most  of  Mr.  Villebois' 
predecessors  hunted  the  hounds  themselves,  but  this 
duty  is  now  deputed  to  a  professional  huntsman. 

The  Vale  of  White  Horse  has  always  been  a  great 
acquisition  to  the  sportsmen  frequenting  Cheltenham 
during  the  months  when  Lord  Fitzhardinge's  hounds 
are  absent.  The  railway,  which  passes  through  the 
country,  is  an  essential  convenience,  although  it  takes 
somewhat  of  a  circuitous  route  through  Gloucester. 
There  is  a  great  proportion  of  grass  in  this  hunt,  which 
holds  a  good  scent,  the  fences  are  strong,  and  the  land 
in  wet  weather  is  heavy.  In  the  neighbourhood  of 
Aldworth,  Bibury,  Foss  Cross,  Barnesley,  the  Hare 
Bushes,  and  Jackaments  Bottom  there  is  an  abundance 
of  stone  walls  and  more  ploughed  land.  The  principal 
woods  are  close  to  the  kennels,  at  the  extremity  of 
Oakley  Park,  and  they  are  extremely  convenient  for 
cub-hunting.  The  park  is  an  admirable  place  to  exer- 
cise hounds  in,  as  it  is  full  of  deer  and  hares. 


MR.    VrLLEBOIS  159 

The  present  pack  has  been  formed  by  Mr.  Villebois 
with  a  very  Hberal  hand.  He  commenced  with  large 
drafts  from  the  Earls  Fitzhardinge  and  Fitzwilliam, 
and  he  also  purchased  the  Herefordshire  hounds  when 
Mr.  Symons  gave  up  that  country. 


CHAPTER    X 

SPORTING     SHROPSHIRE 

Few  counties  offer  more  attractions  to  the  sports- 
man than  Shropshire.  Without  investing  it  with  the 
highest  rank  as  a  fox-hunting  country,  it  presents  the 
charms  of  variety.  The  fisherman  has  ample  oppor- 
tunities for  exercising  the  gentle  art  in  the  Severn,  the 
Teme,  the  Corve,  the  Worfe,  the  Rea,  and  some  other 
tributary  streams.  There  are  various  parts  which  vie 
with  Norfolk  for  partridge-shooting,  especially  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Shiffnal,  extending  thence  on  the 
borders  of  Staffordshire  to  Shipley,  Enville,  and  Bridge- 
north,  on  the  eastern  banks  of  the  Severn.  The  county 
of  Salop  stands  very  high  in  estimation  for  the  breed  of 
horses,  in  which  we  must  include  the  adjoining  parts 
of  Herefordshire,  Montgomeryshire,  and  Radnorshire. 
This  distinction  has,  perhaps,  of  late  years  been  some- 
what in  abeyance  in  consequence  of  the  apprehension 
that  the  demand  for  horses  would  fail  as  railroads 
became  prevalent,  and  therefore  there  have  not  been 
so  many  bred ;  but  that  fear  being  now  dispelled,  the 
energies  of  breeders  are  again  in  the  ascendant.  The 
recent  establishment  of  an  annual  fair,  which  takes 
place  early  in  March,  exclusively  for  the  sale  of  horses, 
which  continues  three  days,  will,  no  doubt,  tend  to 
encourage  the  breeding  of  horses.  There  is  no  other 
place  more  worthy  of  patronage  by  those  who  wish  to 
purchase  well-bred  and  useful  animals.  Most  of  the 
breeding  farmers  are  sportsmen ;  they  ride  their  young 
horses  with  hounds,  while  the  diversified  nature  of  the 
country  and  the  fences  are  particularly  adapted  to 
inculcate  perfection  in  the  accomplishments  of  the 
hunter. 


SHROPSHIRE    SPORTSMEN  161 

It  is  a  natural  inference  that  where  the  state  of  a 
country'  is  adapted  and  inviting  for  sport  the  inhabi- 
tants should  be  distinguished  for  their  sporting  propen- 
sities. By  habit  sporting  becomes  an  acquirement, 
metaphorically,  indigenous  to  the  soil.  Shropshire 
may  justly  boast  of  being  the  native  land  of  a  greater 
number  of  sportsmen  of  high  caste  and  repute  than  any 
other  county  in  England  of  equal  magnitude ;  among 
whom  may  be  introduced  the  late  Mr.  George  Forester 
of  Willey  Park,  who  hunted  the  country  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  past  and  at  the  commencement  of  the 
present  century,  co-temporary  with  Mr.  Meynell  and 
Mr.  Corbet ;  and  if  he  did  not  enjoy  the  advantages  of 
so  good  a  country  as  theirs  to  exercise  his  talent  in,  he 
was  by  no  means  deficient  in  zeal  and  enthusiastic  love 
of  fox-hunting.  His  country  must,  like  most  others 
in  those  days  have  been  very  extensive ;  for  including 
a  great  portion  of  what  is  now  called  the  Shropshire, 
he  had  the  coverts  at  Enville,  Dudmaston,  and  Apley, 
in  the  present  Albrighton  Hunt. 

This  gentleman's  nephew,  the  late  Lord  Forester, 
who  succeeded  to  the  estates  on  the  death  of  the  Squire 
of  Willey  in  1811,  also  a  Salopian,  when  known  as  Mr. 
Forester,  was  a  distinguished  rider  to  hounds  in 
Leicestershire ;  and  likewise  his  friend  the  late  Mr. 
Childe  of  Kinlet,  characterised  in  those  days  by  the 
title  of  the  "  Flying  Childe,"  from  the  pace  at  which 
he  rode  over  the  country.  These  two  gentlemen  are 
said  to  have  introduced  the  fashion  of  hard  riding, 
which  has  increased  up  to  a  more  recent  date.  "It  is 
the  pace  that  kills,"  was  an  expression  made  use  of  by 
Lord  Forester ;  a  truism  universally  correct.  The 
present  Lord  Forester,  so  well-known  in  Leicestershire, 
is  another  nobleman  who  graces  the  list  of  Shropshire 
sportsmen.  The  gallant  Lord  Hill  patronised  fox- 
hunting on  all  occasions,  and  the  late  Sir  John  Hill, 
Bart.,  of  Hawkestone,  the  father  of  so  many  valiant 
sons  who  attracted  the  notice  of  their  sovereign,  was  a 
master  of  hounds  several  seasons;  also  his  son.  Colonel 

L 


162  RECORDS    OIT   THE    CHASE 

Hill.  Sir  Rowland  Hill  hunted  the  North  of  Shropshire 
from  1834  to  1838,  and  several  other  masters  of  hounds 
whose  names  will  be  introduced  in  regular  order.  In 
fact,  the  only  one  who  has  hunted  this  country  not 
being  a  county  man  was  Sir  Bellingham  Graham;  and 
it  is  somewhat  singular  that  in  only  one  instance  has 
the  Quorn  country  ever  been  hunted,  except  by  one 
gentleman,  Mr.  Green,  who  was  a  county  man.  It 
appears  almost  unnecessary  to  remark  that  the  late 
Mr.  Corbet  of  Sundome,  renowned  as  the  most 
celebrated  master  of  fox-hounds  ever  known  in 
Warwickshire,  was  a  Salopian. 

Without  including  those  reckless  riders  who  by  their 
jealousy  are  constantly  pressing  upon  hounds  and 
calling  forth  bursts  of  just  anathemas  from  masters, 
there  are  many  of  first-rate  celebrity  in  this  accom- 
plishment— and  as  an  accomplishment  it  must  be  fairly 
recognised  when  tempered  with  sportsman-like  dis- 
cretion— who  claim  Shropshire  as  the  county  of  their 
birth.  Mr.  John  Lyster,  of  Rowton  Castle,  ranks  as 
one  of  the  very  best  performers  over  a  country  of  this 
or  any  other  age.  Without  over-riding  hounds  he  is 
always  with  them,  let  the  pace  or  the  difficulties  be 
what  they  may.  The  late  Mr.  Lloyd,  of  Aston,  was 
equally  good ;  and  his  son,  I  am  informed,  inherits  the 
same  properties.  The  late  Colonel  Gatacre,  of  Gatacre 
Hall,  on  the  Bridge-north  side,  the  respected  colonel  of 
the  militia  during  many  years,  was  a  fine  horseman,  an 
excellent  sportsman,  and  a  most  estimable,  worthy 
specimen  of  the  English  country  gentleman.  He  lived 
to  attain  the  good  old  age  of  eighty-one,  and  was  taken 
from  his  family,  his  friends,  and  his  country  in  1849,  an 
event  which  occasioned  the  most  unfeigned  regret. 

The  list  of  distinguished  sportsmen,  natives  of  Shrop- 
shire, has  yet  to  be  increased  with  the  names  of  the  late 
Mr.  George  Aston,  formerly  of  Newton,  but  since  of 
Seisdon,  in  the  county  of  Stafford;  also  his  two 
brothers,  the  late  Mr.  Thomas  Aston  Pudsey,  and  his 
successor,  Mr.  John  Aston  Pudsey.    No  three  so  nearly 


SHROPSHIRE    SPORTSMEN  163 

related  ever  did  greater  honours  to  the  science  of 
sporting  equestrianism.  To  make  a  comparison  would 
be  invidious ;  they  were  all  equally  good  over  a  country  ; 
and  without  occasioning  the  mischief  which  hard  riders 
are  prone  to  do,  were  always  in  the  front  rank  when 
pace  told  in  its  effects.  Mr.  George  Aston  departed 
this  life,  to  the  extreme  regret  of  his  friends,  in  Sep- 
tember last.  The  late  Mr.  Thomas  Baker,  brother  of 
the  gentleman  who  now  hunts  the  Wheatland  country, 
was  equally  good ;  and  the  late  Mr.  Edward  Botterel 
was  an  extraordinary  powerful  and  daring  horseman. 
There  were  likewise  two  clergymen  who  did 
much  honour  to  the  '  noble  science.'  Though  not 
assuming  to  unbecoming  emulation  as  bruising  riders, 
their  steady  advocacy  of  fox-hunting  was  unremitting, 
and  the  names  of  the  Reverends  William  Bate  of 
Willey,  and  William  Smith  of  Badger,  well  deserve  to 
be  handed  down  to  posterity.  Mr.  Smith  was  the  pre- 
ceptor or  private  tutor  of  the  late  Mr.  Hugh  Campbell, 
a  gentleman  deservedly  distinguished  in  Warwickshire, 
and  also  of  Mr.  Thomas  Clutton  Brock,  for  several 
years  master  of  the  Worcestershire  hounds. 

Shropshire  has  also  produced  three  very  celebrated 
huntsmen :  George  Carter,  formerly  huntsman  to  the 
Duke  of  Grafton  and  now  with  Mr.  Thomas  Assheton 
Smith,  George  Mountford,  and  Joseph  Maiden.  Maiden 
was  born  on  the  Willey  estate  and  commenced  with 
Mr.  Whitmore  of  Apley,  where,  as  a  boy,  he  whipped- 
in  to  a  pack  of  harriers ;  from  thence  he  went  to  whip- 
in  for  Mr.  Hornyhold  in  Worcestershire,  and  on  that 
gentleman  giving  up  his  hounds,  accompanied  Kit 
Atkinson  to  the  Surrey  Union.  He  was  also  a  short 
time  with  Mr.  Hay  in  Warwickshire,  and  became 
huntsman  to  Mr.  Shaw,  near  Lichfield,  where  he  met 
with  a  most  serious  and  painful  accident — one  which 
would  have  deterred  most  men  from  following  the 
chase  and  which  unhappily  he  feels  the  effects  of  to 
this  day ;  but  his  courage  is  undaunted.  He  was  in  the 
act  of  taking   a   piece   of   flesh   from  the   boiler,  and, 


164  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

standing  over  it  for  that  purpose,  the  flesli-fork  sUpped, 
and  he  fell  into  the  boiling  broth,  dreadfully  scalding 
his  legs  and  thighs ;  but  he  recovered  from  the  accident 
and  went  to  hunt  the  Cheshire  hounds  for  Sir  Harry 
Mainwaring  and  the  subsequent  masters  till  after 
Captain  White  took  them,  when  he  entered  upon  the 
quieter  life  of  an  inn-keeper  at  Sandiway  Head.  Upon 
the  North  Staffordshire  hounds  being  established,  he 
again  returned  to  'active  service.'  In  the  cabalistic 
engagement  of  breeding  hounds  he  has  been  eminently 
successful,  and  he  has  had  more  than  one  occasion  of 
putting  his  talent  to  the  test.  Having  brought  the 
Cheshire  hounds  to  a  state  of  great  perfection,  they 
were  attacked  with  the  fearful  disorder  called  kennel 
madness,  and  in  consequence  nearly  the  whole  of  the 
pack  fell  a  sacrifice.  This  was  soon  after  Captain 
White  had  them.  It  was  then  necessary  to  form  a 
fresh  pack.  When  the  North  Staffordshire  hounds  were 
established,  Maiden  had  to  renew  his  labours.  In  1845, 
he  commenced  with  drafts  from  the  Duke  of  Rutland's, 
Lords  Yarborough's,  Chesterfield's,  and  Ducie's.; 
Messrs.  Foljambe's,  Osbaldeston's,  Hodgson's  and 
Horlock's  kennels ;  principally  from  Mr.  Foljambe's, 
but  in  all,  only  five  and  twenty  couples.  The  following 
year  an  augmentation  was  effected  by  the  purchase  of 
the  Worcestershire  hounds,  but  there  is  not  much  of 
that  blood  now  left.  From  the  reports  I  have  heard. 
Maiden  has  once  more  succeeded  in  forming  a  very 
superior  pack. 

George  Mountford,  who  for  several  years  hunted  the 
Quorn  hounds,  was  also  a  Shropshire  man.  The 
eccentric  Tom  Moody,  who  was  whipper-in  for  Mr. 
Forester,  must  not  be  forgotten ;  there  are  many 
curious  anecdotes  related  of  him  in  the  county,  one  of 
which  exemplifies  the  ready  tact  which  he  possessed 
when  in  what  is  termed  '  a  fix.'  Endeavouring  to  cross 
one  of  the  dingles,  which  are  numerous  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Willey,  his  horse  fell  upon  him,  and  he 
was  unable  to  extricate  himself,  whereupon  he  gave  one 


TOM   MOODY  165 

of  his  well-known  view-halloos,  and  expecting  a  fox  was 
on  foot,  his  master  hastened  to  the  spot.  Although 
Tom  continued  hallooing  he  was  invisible,  when  Mr. 
Forester  enquired  which  way  the  fox  was  gone.  "  I  have 
not  seen  any  fox,"  said  the  whipper-Ln;  "but  I  am  at 
the  bottom  of  the  dingle,  with  my  horse  on  the  top  of 
me,  and  I  knew  a  halloo  was  the  most  likely  means  of 
calling  some  one  to  my  assistance."  This  ardent 
sportsman  commenced  his  career  with  Mr.  Chambers 
of  Whitbume  Court,  on  the  borders  of  Herefordshire 
and  Worcestershire,  from  whom  he  went  to  Mr. 
Forester,  and  lived  with  that  gentleman  several  years. 
He  then  went  to  Mr.  Corbet,  and  whipped-in,  a  season 
or  two,  to  William  Barrow;  but  returned  to  Mr. 
Forester,  and  died  in  that  gentleman's  service 
November  29th,  1796.  His  remains  are  deposited  in 
Barrow  churchyard.  William  Barrow,  the  celebrated 
huntsman  to  Mr.  Corbet's  hounds,  must  be  added  to 
the  list. 

You  cannot  enter  the  good  old  county  of  Salop, 
where  it  is  bounded  by  Worcestershire  and  Stafford- 
shire and  converse  with  any  of  the  old  inhabitants  who 
have  any  taste  for  sporting  subjects,  but  they  will  tell 
you  some  anecdotes  of  the  Squire  Forester  of  Willey, 
and  his  no  less  celebrated  whipper-in  Tom  Moody, 
whose  proficiency  in  and  ardour  for  the  chase  are  so 
quaintly  expressed  in  the  well-known  song  which  bears 
his  name.  Mr.  Forester  being  undeniably  the  oldest 
master  of  fox-hounds  in  this  country,  he,  and  those 
who  succeeded  him,  must  be  mentioned  in  rotation. 

I  have  no  means  of  determining  the  precise  date 
when  this  gentleman  first  established  his  hounds,  but 
from  circumstances  which  have  been  related  to  me,  I 
have  reason  to  believe  he  commenced  about  the  year 
1775,  and  that  he  kept  them  upwards  of  thirty  years. 
It  was  his  custom  to  be  at  the  covert  side  before  sun- 
rise, so  that  he  might  commence  operations  at  the  first 
dawn  of  day.  The  rough  country  about  the  Wrekin 
was  his  favourite  spot,  one   which   modem   fox-hunters 


166  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

are  not  prone  to  admire.  Mr.  Forester  died  in  1811. 
About  that  period  a  pack  was  established  by  subscrip- 
ton  at  Bridgenorth,  when  it  was  called  the  Wheatland 
Hunt.  Mr.  Skelding  had  the  principal  management, 
and  was  joined  by  Mr.  Thomas  Baker,  the  elder 
brother  of  the  present  master,  the  late  Mr.  George 
Aston,  his  brothers,  the  late  Mr.  Thomas  Aston 
Pudsey,  and  Mr.  John  Aston  Pudsey,  the  latter  of 
whom  is  still  one  of  the  most  ardent  sportsmen  in  the 
Albrighton  Hunt.  It  was  distinguished  as  a  most  con- 
vivial and  sporting  coterie,  and  continued  till  about 
the  year  1818 ;  Mr.  Skelding  having  previously  resigned 
his  post  as  huntsman  to  one  John  Chorlton,  a  kind  of 
amateur  yeoman,  and  the  death  of  Mr.  Thomas  Baker 
taking  place,  the  hunt  was  broken  up. 

The  taste  for  hunting  is  innate  in  the  inhabitants  of 
this  soil,  and  the  farmers  kept  the  hounds'  on  for  several 
seasons,  some  in  a  small  kennel  under  the  care  of  the 
aforesaid  John  Chorlton,  who  still  acted  as  the  hunts- 
man, and  the  others  at  the  farm-houses,  from  whence 
they  were  collected  on  the  morning  of  hunting.  The 
late  Sir  Richard  Acton,  of  Aldenham,  gave  them  his 
countenance ;  in  fact  it  was  his  tenants  who  were  the 
principal  supporters  of  the  hounds,  and  they  were  used 
both  for  hunting  the  foxes  and  for  the  purpose  of  taking 
the  deer  which  escaped  from  the  park,  to  facilitate  which 
a  few  couple  of  blood-hounds  were  introduced.  The 
late  Lord  Forester  also  patronised  them ;  and  through 
his  lordship's  interest  drafts  were  occasionally  procured 
from  the  Bel  voir  kennel.  By  that  means,  and  breeding 
a  few  among  themselves,  they  managed  to  keep  up  a 
small  scratch  pack.  It  may  readily  be  understood  that 
they  set  more  value  upon  a  hound  that  could  hunt  a 
very  cold  scent  than  one  which  could  go  a  great  pace, 
and  recourse  was  had  to  crossing  with  the  blood-hound. 

I  can  well  remember  hunting  with  them  in  the  year 
1822,  when  the  pack  at  the  covert  side  was  composed 
somewhat  after  the  following  fashion: — About  six 
couples  of  well-bred  fox-hounds,  three  or  four  couples 


THE    WHEATLAND    HOUNDS  167 

of  the  cross  between  fox-hounds  and  blood-hounds,  and 
two  couples  of  true-bred  blood-hounds.  It  was  highly 
entertaining  to  observe  them  in  chase ;  by  the  time  they 
had  run  a  mile  or  two  the  fox-hounds  would  be  several 
fields  a-head ;  at  a  respectful  distance  came  the  half- 
bred  ones,  toiling  in  vain  to  reach  their  more  speedy 
companions ;  behind  them  came  the  blood-hounds,  ever 
and  anon,  as  they  touched  upon  the  scent,  throwing 
their  tongues  with  sonorous,  deep-toned  melody,  some- 
times actually  sitting  on  their  haunches,  evidently  in- 
dulging their  olfactory  sensibilities.  When  the  leading 
hounds  came  to  a  check,  those  which  had  been  following 
in  the  rear  had  a  chance  of  getting  up,  and  if  the  check 
was  of  long  duration,  the  tender-nosed  blood-hounds 
would  sometimes  recover  the  line ;  but  if  it  was  a  good 
scenting  day  they  scarcely  participated  in  the  perform- 
ance. This  was  quite  enough  to  enable  any  unpreju- 
diced person  to  decide  upon  the  superiority  of  the  fox- 
hound ;  but  still  some  of  the  old  worthies  would  contend 
that  the  blood-hounds  were  serviceable  in  hitting  off  a 
very  cold  scent.  If  they  could  have  been  carried  to 
the  place  where  they  were  wanted,  they  would  no 
doubt  have  been  useful ;  but  having  to  travel  on  foot 
they  were  not,  being  blown  and  half  beaten  before  they 
arrived.  At  the  same  time,  I  believe  that  a  distant 
cross  would  be  an  improvement  in  the  kennels  of 
several  of  our  high-bred  packs,  but  it  would  take  many 
years  to  acquire  it.  In  this  manner  some  of  the  hounds 
now  in  the  Wheatland  kennels  are  bred,  but  it  is  more 
than  five  and  twenty  years  since  the  addresses  of  the 
blood-hounds  have  been  discontinued.  Stud  hounds 
from  the  Belvoir,  Cheshire  and  other  celebrated  estab- 
lishments were  used,  and  thus  the  deficiency  of 
symmetry,  speed,  activity,  and  endurance  has  been 
obviated.  If  extraordinary  sport  is  a  test  of  the  excel- 
lence of  a  pack  of  hounds  (and  I  cannot  conceive  a 
more  conclusive  one),  they  are  certainly  very  superior. 
It  is  quite  clear  that  four  or  five  strains  of  the  true  fox- 


168  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

hound  are  necessary  to  get  rid  of  the  imperfections  of 
the  blood-hound. 

In  1843  a  subscription  was  entered  into,  when  the 
management  of  the  Wheatland  hounds  was  confided  to 
Mr.  Baker,  and  from  that  period  they  have  occupied 
kennels  at  Bridgenorth.  Thisi  gentleman's  attention 
to  the  improvement  of  the  pack  since  he  has  had  the 
management  of  them  has  been  amply  repaid.  Born 
in  the  country  and  accustomed  to  following  hounds  from 
his  boyhood,  he  knows  every  field  in  it;  and,  what  is 
of  more  importance  to  a  huntsman,  he  knows  the  run 
of  the  foxes.  This  affords  an  opportunity  for  observing 
that  much  excellent  sport  may  be  obtained  without  a 
lavish  expenditure  of  money,  providing  things  are  well 
conducted ;  and  also  that  it  may  be  accomplished  in  a 
country  of  limited  extent,  if  foxes  are  well  preserved. 

Shropshire  is  a  country  whose  sons  are  proverbially 
zealous  sportsmen,  and  in  no  portion  of  it  is  it  more 
conspicuous  than  in  that  which  comprises  the  Wheat- 
land Hunt.  To  persons  not  acquainted  with  the 
locality  it  may  be  an  object  of  inquiry  why  it  should 
have  received  the  title.  It  is  a  provincial  term  among 
the  inhabitants  to  distingush  it  from  the  turnip  and 
barley  soil,  extending  a  considerable  distance  on  the 
eastern  banks  of  the  River  Severn,  which  is  hunted  by 
the  Albrighton  hounds.  The  difference  between  the 
two  countries  is  very  remarkable  and  interesting,  con- 
sidering that  the  river  only  marks  the  distinction.  Ap- 
proaching the  picturesque  borough  of  Bridgenorth, 
either  from  Shiffnal,  Wolverhampton,  Stourbridge,  or 
Kidderminster,  land  of  a  verj^  light,  loamy,  and  sandy 
character  prevails,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  small 
portion  of  strong  land  near  Alam  Bridge,  six  miles 
from  Bridgenorth  on  the  Kidderminster  road,  the  light 
soil  extends  from  twelve  to  fifteen  miles.  Having  crossed 
the  Severn  and  passed  through  Bridgenorth,  the  strong 
clay  presents  itself,  where  the  cultivation  of  wheat  and 
beans  forms  the  principal  portion  of  the  farmers  care ; 
there    is,  however,  a   fair   quantity   of   grass,  and  the 


MR.   PELHAM  169 

country  is  favourable  to  scent.  Half  way  between  the 
last-named  town  and  Ludlow  is  the  Brown  Clee  Hill,  a 
favourite  resort  of  foxes;  and  a  horse  that  can  live 
with  hounds  to  that  point  on  a  good  scenting  day,  from 
Spoonbill  Wood,  Monk  Hopton,  Lightwood,  Middleton 
Gorse,  Wallsbatch  Gorse,  or  Sidbury  Coppice,  must  be 
in  good  condition,  formed  of  the  right  materials,  and 
able  to  go  in  any  country  in  England.  This  country 
is  not  much  approved  of  by  the  generality  of  those 
sportsmen  who  belong  to  the  Albrighton  Hunt;  com- 
pared with  that  it  is  rough  in  the  extreme.  Heavy 
land,  strong  fences,  numerous  dingles,  which  can  only 
be  crossed  at  certain  places,  known  but  to  a  chosen  few 
of  the  natives,  now  and  then  deep  brooks  and  perpen- 
dicular banks,  are  formidable  impediments  to  those 
who  are  accustomed  to  light  fences,  sound  ground,  a 
very  few  brooks,  and  no  dingles. 

At  one  period  a  great  portion  of  the  county  of  Salop 
was  hunted  by  Mr.  Pelham  of  Cound  Hall,  a  gentleman 
of  high  honour  and  amusing,  eccentric  devices.  It  was 
his  pleasure  to  attire  his  servants  in  white  hunting- 
coats,  which,  as  I  am  informed,  being  cleaned  with 
pipe-clay,  maintained  their  purity  of  appearance ;  but 
a  fall  must  most  assuredly  have  illustrated  the  Latin 
quotation,  color,  qui  albus  erat,  nunc  est  contrarius 
albo.  This  gentleman  has  been  known  to  amuse  him- 
self with  the  exercise  of  breaking  stones,  in  order  to 
demonstrate  the  exact  quantity  a  labourer  ought  to 
operate  upon  in  the  course  of  the  day.  The  numerous 
pleasantries  in  which  Mr.  Pelham  indulged  were  more 
generally  diversified  than  appertaining  to  the  sports  of 
the  field,  and  therefore  not  precisely  presentable  in 
these  pages. 

Another  part  of  the  country  was  hunted,  about  the 
same  period,  by  Sir  Edward  Smythe,  Bart.,  of  Acton 
Burnell,  an  excellent  sportsman ;  but  what  the  limits 
were  of  this  hunt  I  cannot  precisely  identify,  nor  the 
exact  time  when  Sir  Edward  commenced ;  but  I  per- 
fectly well  remembered  meeting  his  hounds  on  the  16th 


170  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

of  April,  at  Thatcher's  Wood,  in  the  year  1822,  as  a 
memorandum  in  an  old  note-book  supplies  me  with  the 
reminiscence  that  it  was  the  last  day  of  the  season;  an 
event  which,  juvenile  as  I  was,  impressed  me  forcibly 
with  regret.  This  was  also  Sir  Edward  Smythe's  last 
day  of  hunting  till  his  re-commencement  in  1831.  I 
imagine  the  country  he  hunted  must  have  been  what 
has  subsequently  gone  by  the  name  of  the  South 
Shropshire,  and  a  portion  of  the  Wheatland ;  Thatcher's 
Wood  being  in  the  latter  district. 

These  imperfect  recollections  are  strengthened  by 
the  fact  of  Mr.  Mytton  succeeding  Mr.  Pelham,  either 
in  1817  or  1818 ;  and  Mr.  Mytton  certainly  never  hunted 
any  part  of  the  Wheatland,  or  much,  if  any,  of  the 
South  of  Shropshire.  His  country  was  more  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  Halston,  Atcham  Bridge,  and 
Sundorne.  A  part  of  what  now  constitutes  the  Al- 
brighton  country,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Ivetsey 
Bank,  where  he  had  kennels,  was  also  hunted  by  Mr. 
Mytton,  including  Chillington,  Wrottesley,  Pudsey's 
Gorse,  and  Morfe.  When  hunting  this  district  he 
would  sometimes  have  a  relay  of  hacks  on  the  road, 
and  ride  from  his  own  house,  a  distance  of  forty  miles, 
and  return  after  hunting.  On  one  of  these  occasions, 
when  the  hounds  met  at  Weston,  he  had  on  one  black 
and  one  white  silk  stocking,  which  were  conspicuous 
between  his  white  cords  and  boot  tops.  Whether  he 
had  dressed  in  the  dark,  or  whether  he  had  ever  been 
in  bed,  or  whether  he  had  put  them  on  for  effect,  I  will 
not  pretend  to  state.  His  first  exploit  was  to  ride  his 
horse  Baronet  over  the  deer  hurdles  in  Weston  Park, 
which  were  very  high  and  strong,  just  to  ascertain  if  he 
was  in  a  jumping  mood.  I  also  recollect  his  coming 
from  Halston  on  a  very  wet  morning,  to  meet  his 
hounds  at  the  White  Sytche,  near  Weston,  in  the  year 
1820,  before  waterproof  garments  were  in  fashion.  The 
only  affectation  of  protection  from  rain  that  he  wore 
over  his  hunting  coat  was  a  tight  military  surtout,  cut 
according  to  the    existing  fashion,   with  a  very  short 


JACK  MYTTON  171 

waist ;  and  he  was  literally  as  wet  as  if  he  had  ridden 
through  the  Severn.  On  another  occasion  he  came 
from  Cheltenham  in  his  carriage  to  an  appointment  at 
the  Wheelgate.  A  frost  had  for  several  days  prevented 
the  hounds  from  going  out,  and  he  resorted  to  Chelten- 
ham for  a  lark.  It  commenced  raining  in  the  night, 
when,  ordering  horses  to  his  carriage,  he  set  off  to  the 
place  of  meeting.  But  he  was  behind  time,  and  the 
hounds  on  his  arrival  had  gone  to  draw  Morfe  Gorse 
without  any  horse  being  left  for  him,  as  his  servants 
did  not  know  whether  he  would  come  on  wheels,  or 
whether  he  would  come  at  all.  There  was  no  approach 
to  within  a  mile  of  the  covert  for  a  carriage ;  conse- 
quently he  mounted  one  of  the  post  horses,  and  with 
the  encumbrance  of  some  of  the  harness,  especially  the 
winker-bridle,  he  came  straight  over  the  fences, 
arriving  at  the  gorse  just  in  time  to  see  his  hounds  find 
their  fox,  and  declared  the  horse  jumped  better  with 
winkers  than  he  would  have  done  without  them.  Ever 
prone  to  play  some  pranks,  after  a  short  s^curry  in  the 
same  country  his  hounds  hunted  their  fox  to  the 
Severn  and  crossed  at  Quatford,  where  Mytton  jumped 
into  the  ferry-boat  alone,  and  having  gained  the  op- 
posite side  sent  the  boat  adrift,  thereby  precluding  the 
possibility  of  any  other  persons  crossing.  All  those 
who  were  desirous  to  see  the  end  of  the  run  had  to  ride 
round  through  Bridgenorth ;  and  we  found  the  Squire 
of  Halston  with  his  horse  in  a  ditch,  and  the  hounds 
staring  about  with  their  heads  up,  having  lost  their 
fox,  their  huntsman,  and  their  whipper-in.  Mr. 
Mytton  ostensibly  gave  up  his  hounds  in  1822 ;  but  he 
still  kept  on  a  sort  of  scratch  pack,  with  which  he 
hunted  near  home. 

An  amusing  volume  might  be  composed  of  Mr. 
Mytton 's  freaks  and  fancies,  exclusive  of  any  of  his 
faults,  which,  unfortunately,  have  been  already  too 
glaringly  paraded  before  the  public ;  but,  poor  fellow, 
he  is  gone  to  rest,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  his  indiscretions 
have  met  with  more  lenient  judgment  from  Heaven  than 


172  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

they  have  from  many  of  his  earthly  censors,  to  whom, 
and  to  all  others  who  presume  to  judge  their  companions 
in  sin,  the  11th  verse  of  the  4th  chapter  of  James  is 
strikingly  applicable.  '*  Speak  not  evil  one  of  another, 
brethren.  He  that  speaketh  evil  of  his  brother,  and 
judgetli  his  brother,  speaketh  evil  of  the  law,  and 
judgeth  the  law;  but  if  thou  judge  the  law,  thou  art 
not  a  doer  of  the  law,  but  a  judge."  On  the  9th  April, 
Anno  Domini  1834,  his  mortal  remains  were  deposited 
in  the  family  vault  at  Halston  Chapel,  at  the  com- 
paratively early  age  of  thirty-eight. 

The  late  Sir  Richard  Pulestone,  a  very  distinguished 
sportsman,  considered  the  best  judge  of  hounds  of  his 
time,  hunted  divers  parts  of  Shropshire,  and  indeed 
several  other  countries,  during  a  period  of  between 
thirty  and  forty  years.  To  point  out  the  various  districts 
and  the  precise  dates  would  be  impossible.  During  the 
latter  part  of  the  time,  he  confined  his  hunting  to  the 
neighbourhood  of  Emral,  in  Flintshire.  I  never  met 
his  hounds  but  once,  which  was  at  the  Twemlows,  near 
Whitchurch,  a  great  many  years  ago,  and  have  but  a 
very  slight  recollection  of  them.  Sir  Richard  Pulestone 
sold  his  pack  in  the  spring  of  1833  to  Lord  Radnor  for 
500  guineas,  when  he  retired  from  the  field  as  a  master 
of  fox-hounds.     He  departed  this  life  in  1849. 

In  1823  the  gentlemen  of  Shrewsbury  and  the 
neighbourhood  built  some  kennels  and  stables  about 
two  miles  from  the  town ;  soon  after  which  Sir  Belling- 
ham  Graham  undertook  to  hunt  the  Shropshire  in  con- 
junction with  what  was  subsequently  called  the 
Albrighton  country,  which  he  had  previously  himted 
exclusively ;  but  that  arrangement  only  continued  one 
season,  the  Albrighton  men  being  inconvenienced 
every  alternate  month  or  six  weeks  by  not  having 
hounds  within  their  reach ;  and  Sir  Bellingham  confined 
his  operations  to  the  Shropshire  side  during  the  re- 
mainder of  the  time  of  his  keeping  hounds.  The 
baronet  hunted  his  hounds  in  person ;  and  as  an  amateur 
huntsman,  if  he  has  been  equalled,  he  certainly  has  not 


SHROPSHIRE    KENNELS  173 

been  excelled.  He  was  very  ably  assisted  in  the  field 
by  William  Staples  and  John  Wigglesworth.  After 
having  hunted  the  Atherstone,  the  Quorn,  and  the 
Pytchley  countries,  it  appeared  a  condescension  to  hunt 
a  provincial  one ;  but  Sir  Bellingham  introduced  every 
requisite  for  the  promotion  of  sport,  and  was  most 
successful  in  the  results. 

On  Sir  Bellingham  Graham's  retirement  in  1826,  he 
sold  his  hounds  to  the  committee  which  was  then 
formed,  of  whom  Sir  Edward  Smythe,  Mr.  Lloyd,  and 
Mr.  Smythe  Owen,  were  the  principals.  Staples  was 
appointed  as  huntsman,  and  Wigglesworth  remained  as 
first  whip.  This  continued  till  the  conclusion  of  the 
season  1833,  when  the  country  was  divided  into  North 
and  South.  Sir  Rowland  Hill,  Baronet,  of  Hawke- 
stone,  took  the  former  portion  with  Staples  in  his 
former  appointment;  the  kennels  at  Lee  Bridge  being 
the  domicile  of  the  hounds.  The  southern  district  was 
hunted  by  Mr.  Smythe  Owen,  who  promoted  Wiggles- 
worth; and  kennels  were  provided  at  Coundover.  Mr. 
Hodson  succeeded,  kept  the  hounds  two  or  three 
seasons,  but  gave  them  up  in  1841.  Mr.  T.  C.  Eyton 
subsequently  became  the  master  of  the  southern 
district,  and  Sir  Watkin  Williams  Wynn,  Baronet, 
added  the  northern  to  an  extensive  tract  of  country 
around  Wynnstay,  which  he  now  hunts  in  great  style, 
having  the  celebrated  John  Walker,  who  was  for  many 
years  with  the  Fife  hounds,  as  huntsman.  This 
arrangement  was  entered  into  in  1849.  Sir  Watkin 
Wynn's  country  is  comprised  in  what  may  be  called 
the  Old  Shropshire,  verging  on  the  Cheshire  and  North 
Staffordshire,  with  a  part  of  the  Garden  district,  and 
that  near  Wynnstay. 

Mr.  Baker  undertook  to  hunt  the  country  vacated  by 
Mr.  Eyton,  conjointly  with  the  Wheatland;  two  days 
in  the  week  being  devoted  to  the  former,  and  one  to 
the  latter  district.  This  only  continued  for  one  year, 
but  with  a  very  limited  subscription  he  succeeded  in 
showing  most  extraordinary  sport.     One  of  the  runs  is 


174  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

especially  worthy  of  notice ;  it  took  plaee  on  the  16th 
of  November,  1849.  The  place  of  meeting  was  the 
fifth  mile  stone  on  the  Baschurch  road.  The  hounds 
were  scarcely  in  the  covert  at  Merrington,  on  Mr. 
Slaney's  estate,  one  of  the  Members  for  Shrewsbury, 
and  a  most  zealous  sportsman,  when  a  fox  was  viewed 
away  by  Pearce,  the  head  whip.  After  taking  a  ring 
round  the  covert,  he  made  a  point  for  Leaton  Shelf, 
best  pace ;  without  a  moment's  hesitation  he  ran 
through  the  covert,  straight  as  possible  to  Preston 
Gobalds,  and  away  to  Pimhill,  Harmer  Hill,  and 
Middle  Park  nearly  to  Baschurch,  when  bearing  to  the 
right  he  gained  the  covert  in  which  he  was  found  at 
Merrington;  through  it  and  again  to  Leaton  Shelf.  He 
then  crossed  the  River  Severn,  which,  although  bank 
full,  Mr.  Webster  of  Preen,  one  of  Shropshire's  gallant 
heroes  of  the  chase,  plunged  into,  leaving  the  whole  of 
the  field  behind  him.  This  however,  was  an  unprofit- 
able daring;  for  having  tried  a  refuge  in  Bickley  Cop- 
pice the  fox  re-crossed  the  Severn  near  Montford 
Bridge,  which  afforded  Mr.  Webster  another  oppor- 
tunity for  exercising  his  amphibious  qualities.  From 
this  point  the  fox  went  to  Forton,  and  nearly  to 
Nesscliffe,  where  he  turned  to  the  right  by  Fitz,  with 
the  pack  close  at  his  brush ;  through  the  gardens  at 
Grafton,  when  he  once  more  tried  the  earths  at  Leaton 
Shelf,  and  after  a  terrific  run  of  nearly  four  hours' 
duration,  was  pulled  down  near  Leaton  Knoll,  the 
residence  of  J.  A.  Lloyd,  Esq.,  a  small  portion  of  the 
field  only  being  up  to  witness  the  termination.  Among 
the  select  few  were  Mr.  Baker  the  present,  and  Mr. 
Eyton  the  late,  master  of  the  hounds,  Mr.  Webster  and 
Mr.  Harnage.  All  the  horses  were  completely  beaten, 
and  had  it  not  been  for  some  friendly  roads  which 
occasionally  intervened,  it  appears  impossible  that  any 
could  have  gone  half  the  distance,  which  is  computed 
at  upwards  of  thirty  miles. 

Not  finding  the  subscription  adequate  to  the  expenses 
Mr.    Baker   resigned    the    Shropshire   district    to    Mr. 


A   RUN    WITH   THE   WHEATLAND        175 

Edward  Corbet  of  Longnor,  in  1850,  when  the  latter 
gentleman  purchased  five  and  twenty  couples  of  Mr. 
Baker's  hounds  to  commence  with,  and  constructed 
kennels  at  Dorrington. 

Since  that  time  Mr.  Baker  has  confined  his  hunting 
to  the  Wheatland  country,  and  although  it  may  be 
justly  termed  a  rough  one  he  has  contrived  to  show  a 
vast  deal  of  sport.  The  following  sketch  of  a  run  which 
these  hounds  had  in  the  memorable  wet  but  good- 
scenting  season  of  1852  and  53  is  a  specimen  of  their 
performance  and  conclusive  proof  of  the  state  of  the 
country.  On  the  28th  of  December  they  met  at 
Stanley,  and  drew  till  rather  late  in  the  day  before  they 
found.  A  good  game  fox,  however,  was  in  waiting  at 
Willey,  which  went  away  across  the  Park  for  Linley  to 
Frog  Mill,  and  along  the  chain  of  coverts  opposite 
Apley,  on  to  Stanley,  when  he  turned  to  the  right  and 
made  his  point  good  to  Mr.  Stephen's  coverts  and  from 
thence  to  Caughley,  which  large  covert  he  passed 
quickly  through,  making  in  the  direction  of  the 
Wooden  Bridge ;  but  soon  after  leaving  Caughley  the 
hounds  got  away  from  the  whole  field  of  horsemen,  and 
night  coming  on  they  lost  them  entirely.  WTien  last 
seen  they  were  running  breast  high,  but  what  they  did 
with  their  fox,  no  one  could  tell.  The  time  from  the 
find  to  when  they  ran  out  of  sight  of  the  horsemen  was 
one  hour  and  twenty  minutes.  Such  an  event  is  seldom 
heard  of,  and  in  modern  days  is  only  paralleled  by  a 
run  with  Lord  Drumlanrig's  hounds.  Some  of  Mr. 
Baker's  hounds  did  not  come  home  for  two  or  three 
days ;  and  although  the  performance  is  highly  credit- 
able to  the  pack  in  respect  to  their  condition  and  stout- 
ness, it  is  scarcely  possible  to  conceive  anything  more 
vexatious  and  annoying  to  a  master  of  hounds  than  to 
be  compelled  to  return  home  without  his  pack,  and  in 
answer  to  interrogatories  what  has  become  of  them  to 
be  compelled  to  acknowledge  they  have  fairly  beaten 
him.  The  nature  of  this  severe  country  and  the  heavy 
state  it  was  in  afford,  however,  an  ample  apology. 


176  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

That  which  is  called  the  Ludlow  country  was,  I 
believe,  many  years  ago  hunted  by  the  late  Mr.  Childe 
of  Kinlet,  and  after  him  by  the  late  Mr.  Dansey  of 
Easton;  also  by  Mr.  Adams  of  Ludlow,  and  when  he 
gave  up,  the  country  was  vacant  for  a  short  time.  Mr. 
Stubbs  of  the  Westmore  had  them,  on  and  off,  nearly 
twenty  years,  although  during  part  of  the  time  Mr. 
Dansey,  a  son  of  the  gentleman  already  named,  re- 
lieved Mr.  Stubbs  a  season  or  two.  Lord  Gifford  also 
had  them  in  1841.  When  no  one  else  could  be  found  to 
keep  on  the  hounds,  Mr.  Stubbs  invariably  responded 
to  the  voice  of  the  sporting  inhabitants,  and  for  so  en- 
thusiastically promoting  the  welfare  of  fox-hunting 
they  cannot  but  feel  deeply  indebted  to  him.  This 
gentleman  and  his  son  must  be  included  among  the 
most  ardent  of  Salopian  sportsmen.  The  gift  is  in 
them  hereditary;  as  the  late  Mr.  Stubbs,  the  father  of 
the  elder  one  of  whom  I  am  now  writing,  was  a  very 
celebrated  man  in  his  day,  and  is  thus  introduced  in  the 
Epwell  Hunt. 

"  With  his  hat  in  his  hand,  looking  out  for  a  gate, 
Neither  looking  nor  riding  by  any  means  straight, 
Mr.  Stubbs,  a  great  sportsman,  no  doubt,  in  his  time, 
But  who  himting  on  Sundays  once  deem'd  it  no  crime; 
Making  desperate  play  through  some  fine  muddy  lanes, 
With  kicking  and  skirting,  got  in  for  his  pains. 
High  waving  the  brush,  and  with  pleasure  half  mad, 
Roaring  out  '  Yoicks  !  have  at  'em;  we've  kill'd  him,  my  lad.'" 

It  is  necessary  in  order  to  explain  the  allusion  made 
about  hunting  on  Sundays  to  introduce  an  anecdote  re- 
corded of  this  gentleman.  During  many  years  he 
resided  at  Beckbury  in  this  county,  where  he  kept  a 
pack  of  hounds,  and  to  guard  against  a  blank  day 
usually  had  some  foxes  confined  in  a  building  appro- 
priated to  their  use.  Going  to  feed  them  on  a  Sunday 
morning  one  of  them  made  his  escape,  but  not  unper- 
ceived  by  this  keen  sportsman,  who  immediately  let 
the  pack  out  of  the  kennel  and  laid  them  on  the  scent. 
After  a  run  exceeding  twenty  miles  the  fox  was  killed 


THE    SHROPSHIRE    COUNTRY  177 

in  a  village  just  as  the  good  people  were  returning  from 
church. 

The  Ludlow  hounds  came  out  this  season  under  the 
direction  of  a  new  master,  Mr.  Sit  well,  who  has,  I  am 
informed,  made  every  preparation  necessary  to  pro- 
mote sport. 

The  best  portion  of  Shropshire,  as  a  hunting  country 
is  that  which  is  hunted  by  Sir  Watkin  Wynn,  but  it 
varies  exceedingly.  There  is  some  very  fair  land  about 
Ercal  Heath  and  Sundome,  and  the  Wheatland 
country,  although  very  rough,  holds  a  capital  scent 
and  good  stout,  wild  foxes.  The  fences  in  many  parts 
are  very  strong  and  are  often  augmented  with  wide 
blind  ditches,  and  in  places  there  are  some  nasty 
brooks.  If  a  horse  is  soifficiently  accomplished  to  get 
safely  over  the  fences,  and  has  pace,  he  may  be  trusted 
in  any  country.  On  the  Titterstone  Clee  Hill  the  foxes 
have  a  stronghold,  I  believe  unequalled  in  any  other 
part  of  England.  In  many  places  there  are  huge 
masses  of  granite  lying  about  in  a  most  chaotic  fashion, 
under  which  the  foxes  have  their  runs  and  from  which 
it  is  useless  to  attempt  to  bolt  them.  As  it  is  utterly 
impossible  to  stop  these  earths,  on  the  night  before 
hunting,  at  the  time  the  foxes  are  supposed  to  be 
abroad  in  search  of  food,  a  range  of  fires  isi  lit  along  the 
hills  to  cut  off  their  retreat  at  daybreak,  and  the  men — 
generally  colliers  from  the  neighbouring  mines,  who  are 
employed  to  make  the  fires — remain  on  duty  till  the 
hunting  is  over,  that  they  may  guard  the  entrances  to 
what  may  be  appropriately  termed  the  fortifications 
of  the  foxes.  The  result  of  this  is  that  they  are  found 
in  all  directions;  some  in  the  coverts,  others  in  the 
dingles  or  hollow  pits,  and  being  of  a  very  wild  nature 
with  anything  of  a  scent  they  are  sure  to  occasion  a 
clipping  run.  It  is,  however,  an  expensive  process,  as 
it  requires  from  thirty  to  forty  men  to  manage  the  fires, 
and  they  consume  a  considerable  portion  of  ale  and 
cider,  exclusive  of  their  pay.  The  appearance  of  the 
bonfires  on  the  hills  is  a  sure  indication  of  what  is  about 

H 


178  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

to  take  place  on  the  morrow,  and  as  the  love  of  sport 
prevails  as  much  among  the  lower  order  of  Shropshire 
natives  as  any  other  class,  some  hundreds  of  the  colliers 
will  be  seen  in  waiting  on  the  hills  to  participate  in  the 
diversion.  Clad  in  the  roughest  style  of  dress,  if  demi- 
nudity  can  be  acknowledged  or  associated  with  the 
expression,  they  present  a  strange  appearance,  and  are 
as  black  as  demons  from  the  nature  of  their  work.  To 
hear  their  unearthly  Kaffir-like  shouts  and  yells 
mingled  with  the  melodious  cry  of  the  hounds  when  a 
fox  is  viewed  making  an  attempt  to  gain  his  ac- 
customed haven,  still  guarded  by  the  lingering  embers 
of  the  fires,  and  behold  these  human  imps  literally  of 
'  the  world  below,'  afford  a  scene  as  exciting  as  it  is 
extraordinary.  The  riding  on  the  Titterstone  Hill  is  a 
service  of  great  danger;  the  huge  and  rugged  stones 
which  lie  about  in  all  directions,  some  several  feet 
above,  others  nearly  level  with  the  surface,  present 
very  uncertain  footing  for  the  horse;  but  many  of  the 
sportsmen,  especially  the  farmers,  ride  over  these 
obstacles  at  an  alarming  pace. 

I  must  not  omit  to  mention  that  during  the  time  the 
Wheatland  hounds  were  kept  on  by  the  farmers — that 
is  about  the  year  1828 — Mr.  Jones  of  Maesmawr,  near 
Newtown,  in  Montgomeryshire,  occasionally  brought 
his  unique  pack  for  a  fortnight  at  a  time  into  this 
district.  They  were  designated  the  Welsh  hounds,  and 
most  truly  did  they  preserve  the  ancient  system  in 
every  respect.  Many  of  them  were  the  old-fashioned 
rough-coated  hounds ;  a  breed  which  I  imagine  to  be 
now  extinct,  except  for  the  purpose  of  otter-hunting. 
It  is,  however,  but  fair  to  state  they  seldom  missed 
their  fox.  Commencing  their  operations  at  a  very  early 
hour,  they  hunted  their  game  up  to  his  kennel  by  the 
drag,  and  a  run  of  three  or  four  hours'  duration  was 
very  frequently  the  result.  When  this  establishment 
was  broken  up  the  sale  of  the  horses  occasioned  con- 
siderable interest  in  the  sporting  world,  not  only  in 
consequence  of  the  cleverness  of  many  of  them  but  also 


MR.    PINCHES  179 

from  the  curious  description  given  of  them  in  the  cata- 
logues, wherein  the  runs  in  which  they  had  dis- 
tinguished themselves  were  faithfully  portrayed. 

The  late  Mr.  Pinches  of  Ticklerton  at  one  time  like- 
wise hunted  a  portion  of  the  country  now  claimed  by 
the  Wheatland  Hunt ;  and  that  was  another  pack 
which  rejoiced  in  ancient  tactics.  It  was  called  the 
United  Pack,  but  whether  that  was  intended  jocosely 
I  will  not  presume  to  state.  The  Independent  Pack 
would  have  been  a  more  appropriate  term ;  for  they 
were  all  over  the  country,  each  hound  appearing  to  be 
devoting  his  attention  to  his  own  specific  object.  This 
their  worthy  master  considered  a  great  perfection, 
arguing  that  if  they  were  kept  together,  fifteen  couples 
would  be  of  no  more  use  in  the  field  than  four  or  five ; 
but  by  spreading  extensively  each  hound  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  distinguishing  himself  by  rendering  assistance 
either  in  finding  a  fox  or  recovering  a  scent.  Houndsi 
which  other  masters  would  have  drafted  for  being  rank 
skirters  Mr.  Pinches  considered  invaluable.  The  first 
time  I  ever  saw  them  was  at  Willey  Park,  and  they  had 
commenced  drawing  the  covert  when  I  arrived.  I 
soon  found  the  master,  who  hunted  them  himself.  At 
his  horse's  heels  was  a  powerful,  good-looking  hound, 
but  awfully  disfigured  by  having  one  ear  cropped  close 
to  his  head,  and  his  stern  docked  to  within  three  inches 
of  the  stump.  On  my  expressing  astonishment,  and 
inquiring  from  Mr.  Pinches  why  the  poor  animal  had 
been  so  mutilated,  he  replied,  "  That  is  the  best  hound 
in  England ;  he  was  given  to  me  by  Mr.  Jones  of 
Maesmawr;  he  was  docked  and  had  his  ear  cut  off  that 
he  might  not  be  stolen."  "  An  effectual  remedy,"  I 
observed,  "and,  doubtless,  an  original  idea;  but  how 
is  it,"  I  enquired,  "  that  he  is  not  with  the  other  hounds 
in  covert,  trying  to  find  his  fox?"  "Oh,"  said  his 
master,  "I  always  keep  him  with  me,  so  that  if  I  have 
a  chance  of  seeing  a  fox  break  covert,  I  can  lay  him  on 
in  view ;  he  would  not  leave  my  horse's  heels  even  if  the 
other  hounds  were  running  hard,  until  I  told  him ;  he 


180  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

has  been  trained  to  it."  This  might  have  been,  as  Mr. 
Pinches  supposed,  the  best  hound  in  England ;  but  it 
was  certainly  a  very  extraordinary  way  of  obtaining 
his  services.  Like  Mr.  Jones's  hounds,  they  had  long 
runs  and  killed  their  foxes  after  the  fashion  of  olden 
times,  and  their  performances  gratified  those  who  were 
in  the  habit  of  hunting  with  them.  So  that  they  were 
pleased,  it  would  be  uncourteous  to  compare  them  with 
modern  packs.  Their  kind-hearted,  good-tempered 
master  died  a  few  years  since  in  the  prime  of  life,  and 
the  hounds  having  passed  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Luther 
still  continue  to  hunt  a  rough  countr^^  near  Bishop's 
Castle  and  in  Clun  Forest. 

We  will  now  turn  to  the  Albrighton  country,  which 
comprises  a  portion  of  Shropshire,  a  part  of  Stafford- 
shire, and  a  few  coverts  in  Worcestershire.  This 
country  was  very  irregularly  hunted  till  the  year 
1825.  As  I  have  previously  stated,  the  late  Mr.  George 
Forester  of  Willey  hunted  a  part  of  it.  The  late  Earl 
of  Stamford  and  Warrington  also  hunted  it  with  a  very 
magnificent  establishment ;  at  least  such  is  the  tradition 
of  some  of  the  '  oldest  inhabitants;'  but  I  believe,  his 
lordship  took  his  hounds  occasionally  to  his  estate  at 
Grooby,  in  Leicestershire,  so  that  a  part  of  the  season 
the  Shropshire  and  Staffordshire  sportsmen  were  with- 
out hounds,  an  inconvenience  very  prevalent  in  those 
times.  When  the  earl  gave  up.  Sir  Richard  Pulestone 
occasionally  hunted  the  Shropshire  side,  which  was 
then  called  the  Shiffnal  country,  and  Colonel  Newnham 
drew  the  covert  on  the  Worcestershire  borders  when  it 
suited  his  convenience. 

When  Colonel  Newnham  gave  up  his  hounds  in  Wor- 
cestershire Mr.  Hornyhold  succeeded,  and  hunted  this 
country  occasionally,  his  hounds  lying  at  the  Stew 
Poney  Kennels.  Kit  Atkinson  was  the  huntsman,  John 
King,  first  whip,  and  Joseph  Maiden,  second.  With 
these  hounds  I  saw  one  of  the  most  severe  days  of 
which  I  have  any  recollection.  It  was  on  the  9th  of 
January,  1822.     They  found  in  Pudsey's  Gorse  at  five 


MR.    BOYCOTT  181 

minutes  after  twelve,  and  lost  their  fox  near  Orton 
Hills!  at  fifty  minutes  after  three;  they  had  very  few 
checks,  and  none  of  those  of  any  duration. 

Thus  was  the  country  hunted  till  1823,  when  Sir 
Bellingham  Graham  entered  into  an  engagement  to 
hunt  it,  and  resided  at  Compton  House,  near  Kinfare, 
where  kennels  were  provided ;  he  also  used  those  at 
Ivetsey  Bank,  as  a  temporary  accommodation  when 
the  appointments  were  on  the  Shiffnal  side.  The 
magnificence  of  Sir  Bellingham's  establishment,  the  very 
superior  sport  which  he  afforded,  and  his  hunting 
accomplishments,  were  acknowledged  by  all,  and  it 
was  a  source  of  great  regret  when,  the  following  season, 
the  baronet  undertook  to  hunt  the  Shropshire  country 
in  conjunction  with  this ;  inasmuch  as  every  alternate 
month  or  six  weeks  each  district  was  without  hounds. 

The  year  after — that  is  in  1825 — Mr.  Boycott  of 
Rudge  entered  upon  the  country,  from  which  period  it 
may  be  said  to  have  been  regularly  hunted  and  the 
limits  defined.  This  gentleman  was  unquestionably  a 
sportsman,  and  at  one  time  a  first-rate  performer  over 
a  country ;  but  he  had  arrived  at  a  time  of  life  when 
the  keenness  for  riding  usually  diminishes,  and  as  he 
hunted  his  own  hounds  the  failing  was  obvious.  The 
pack  with  which  he  commenced  operations  was  pur- 
chased from  Mr.  Nunn  and  had  been  hunting  in  Essex ; 
they  were  not  level  in  size,  nor  was  their  condition  by 
any  means  good ;  but  Mr.  Boycott  certainly  improved 
them  vastly.  His  first  whipper-in  was  old  Zac. 
Goddard,  a  very  celebrated  man  in  Warwickshire  when 
in  the  service  of  Lord  Middleton.  Skinner  whipped-in 
under  him,  and  subsequently  took  his  place.  Mr. 
Boycott  was  frequently  much  annoyed,  and  often  not 
without  cause,  at  the  way  in  which  his  hounds  were 
over-ridden;  and  I  certainly  must  declare  I  have  at 
times  seen  those  proceedings  carried  to  a  greater  excess 
in  this  than  in  any  other  country  I  ever  hunted  in.  The 
fields  were  generally  ver^'^  numerous,  sometimes  from 
one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  horsemen  out ; 


182  RECORDS    OF    THE    CHASE 

the  nature  of  the  country  is  particularly  calculated  to 
facilitate  the  manoeuvres  of  aspiring  characters,  much  of 
the  land  being  very  light  and  the  fences  moderate  with 
an  infinity  of  roads.  It  was  not  an  unusual  event  as 
soon  as  a  fox  was  found — ay,  before  he  had  broken 
covert — to  see  horsemen  spread  in  all  directions,  spec- 
ulating as  to  the  line  the  fox  would  take.  Under  any 
circumstances  such  conduct  is  exceedingly  provoking, 
and  in  a  bad-scenting  country  certain  to  destroy  all 
prospects  of  a  run.  Withal,  Mr.  Boycott  was-  a  kind- 
hearted,  good-natured  man,  and  conciliatory  with  the 
farmers.  A  circumstance  illustrative  of  this  is  worthy 
of  being  introduced.  Close  to  a  covert  called  Lightwood 
was  a  field  of  wheat  over  which  on  a  previous  occasion 
the  whipper-in  had  ridden  for  the  purpose  of  viewing 
the  fox  away.  The  farmer,  unnecessarily  annoyed  at 
this,  came  to  the  place  of  meeting  and  made  a  com- 
plaint. "Ah,"  said  Mr.  Boycott,  "I  have  heard  all 
about  it,  I  turned  him  away;"  and  the  farmer  looking 
at  the  two  whippers-in  who  were  with  the  hounds,  and 
not  being  able  to  recognise  the  offender,  was  perfectly 
satisfied.  It  happened  that  the  whipper-in  who  had 
ridden  over  the  wheat  had  met  with  an  accident,  and 
his  place  was  supplied  for  the  day  by  the  kennel-man, 
which  enabled  Mr.  Boycott  to  satisfy  the  complaining 
farmer. 

After  serving  a  short  apprenticeship  Mr.  Boycott  sold 
his  pack  to  Captain  Freeman  and  resigned.  In  1831 
the  management  of  the  hounds  was  undertaken  by 
Mr.  Walter  Gifford  of  Chillington,  when  kennels  were 
built  at  Albrighton,  from  which  circumstance  the  name 
of  the  hunt  originated.  John  Beardshaw,  who  had 
been  hunting  Mr.  Shaw's  hounds  and  was  previously 
in  the  service  of  Mr.  Foljambe,  was  engaged  as  hunts- 
man, and  John  Pugh  as  whipper-in. 

The  hounds  at  Albrighton  were  unfortunately  very 
unhealthy,  and  that  serious  malady  kennel  lameness 
made  its  appearance  most  extensively.  The  disorder 
was  attributed,  and  no  doubt  justly,  to  the  situation. 


SIR    THOMAS    BOUGHEY  183 

which  was  on  a  sandstone  rock.  In  the  hope  of  effectmg 
a  remedy  the  floors  were  taken  up  to  introduce  a  layer 
of  cinders,  but  as  may  be  conjectured  without  pro- 
ducing any  good  results.  The  hounds  were  then  re- 
moved to  another  place ;  there  the  same  cause  existed, 
and  no  benefit  was  derived  from  the  change. 

Mr.  Walter  Gifford  had  kept  harriers  some  years 
previously,  and  as  a  sportsman  was  gifted  with  first- 
rate  qualifications.  His  style  of  riding  over  a  country 
was  quiet  and  very  workman-like.  He  had  a  little  bay 
horse  remarkably  clever  at  all  kinds  of  intricate  fences, 
particularly  at  standing  leaps;  and  the  way  in  which 
he  crept  over  the  country,  appearing  to  be  going  no 
pace  and  yet  always  in  a  good  place,  was  quite  re- 
markable. After  keeping  the  hounds  five  seasons, 
during  which  time  he  showed  a  vast  deal  of  sport  for 
the  country,  in  1837  his  brother-in-law.  Sir  Thomas 
Boughey,  took  the  management  without  any  subscrip- 
tion. On  removing  the  hounds  to  fresh  kennels  at 
Aqualate  the  lameness,  with  a  few  exceptions  of  in- 
veterate, old-established  cases,  disappeared — a  con- 
vincing proof  of  the  cause. 

Sir  Thomas  performed  the  duties  of  huntsman  him- 
self, having  a  very  clever  man,  William  Wells,  to  pre- 
side in  the  kennel.  However  zealous  he  was  in  the 
cause,  the  baronet  was  not  successful  in  the  field.  The 
hounds  were  in  good  condition,  the  horses  unexcep- 
tionable, and  Sir  Thomas  rode  well  over  the  country ; 
but  public  opinion  did  not  resound  in  his  praise  as  a 
huntsman ;  he  did  not  appear  to  be  acquainted  with 
the  run  of  the  foxes,  and  when  his  hounds  came  to  a 
check  with  a  bad  scent,  did  not  avail  himself  of  the 
most  likely  points  to  hit  upon  the  line. 

The  baronet  only  kept  them  three  seasons,  when  Mr. 
Thomas  Holyoake  was  called  upon  to  undertake  the 
responsible  duties  of  master,  with  a  committee,  who 
exonerated  him  from  all  liabilities  in  the  expenditure. 
The  Summer-house,  halfway  between  Wolverhampton 
and  Shiffnal,  was  selected   as  the    site  of  the  kennels, 


184  RECORDS    OF    THE   CHASE 

and  a  more  unfortunate  one  could  not  have  been  chosen. 
It  was  upon  a  very  light,  sandy  soil,  with  sandstone 
rock  for  substratum,  and  being  superficially  dry  it  was 
conjectured  that  all  the  evils  of  kennel  lameness  would 
be  avoided — an  opinion  which  at  the  time  I  ventured 
to  dissent  from.  The  lodging-rooms  were  constructed 
in  a  brick-built  barn  which  had  been  erected  some 
years,  and  therefore  dry,  which  it  was  expected  would 
insure  the  sound  condition  of  the  inmates,  as  many 
persons  ascribed  the  malady  to  the  dampness  of  the 
kennel  walls — a  conclusion  which  is  far  from  being 
correct.  There  is  no  doubt  that  kennel  lameness  isi 
originally  produced  from  the  damp  exhalations  arising 
from  the  earth,  and  from  that  cause  rheumatism  is 
promoted  by  the  hounds  lying  together  in  a  large  body ; 
therefore  the  more  porous  the  soil,  the  greater  the 
amount  of  exhalation.  There  is  no  question  that  the 
disorder  is  also  to  a  certain  extent  hereditary,  inasmuch 
that  the  produce  of  hounds  so  afflicted  have  a  predis- 
position, which  will  be  brought  out  in  a  kennel  having 
a  slight  tendency  to  occasion  the  disease.  It  must  also 
be  observed  that  there  are  different  degrees  of  unhealthy 
properties  in  kennels,  depending  upon  the  nature  of 
the  soil  on  which  they  are  built. 

Various  plans  have  been  resorted  to  for  the  purpose 
of  rendering  unsound  kennels  healthy ;  large  stones, 
chalk,  clay,  impervious  cement,  and  all  such  devices 
that  human  ingenuity  can  suggest  have  been  introduced 
under  the  lodging-rooms  and  yards  in  several  kennels 
which  I  am  acquainted  with,  but  without  any  satis- 
factory result.  I  have  only  heard  of  two  instances 
where  any  permanent  benefit  has  arisen  from  any  plans 
that  have  been  tried  in  kennels  decidedly  unsound,  and 
those  are  with  two  packs  of  harriers,  the  respective 
property  of  Mr.  Jasper  of  Stableford  in  Shropshire,  a 
gentleman  well-known  as  a  very  superior  sportsman  in 
the  Albrighton  Hunt,  and  Mr.  Wilson  Roberts,  for  many 
years  Member  for  Bewdley  in  Worcestershire.  Mr. 
Jasper's  hounds  were  so  very  lame  from  the  kennel. 


KENNEL  LAMENESS  185 

which  is  on  a  sandy  soil,  that  he  most  reluctantly 
determined  upon  giving  them  up.  Having  tried  various 
experiments,  including  those  already  mentioned,  he 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  affliction  was  produced 
from  the  damp  exhalations  and  atmosphere  surrounding 
the  kennel  acting  upon  the  hounds  after  severe  work, 
when  lying  close  to  each  other  in  the  usual  way  on  the 
benches.  Being  very  unwilling  to  give  up  his  hounds, 
he  determined  to  try  one  experiment,  which  fortunately 
proved  successful.  The  plan  is  simple,  not  expensive, 
and  may  readily  be  adopted  in  any  kennel.  It  is  to 
form  a  separate  box  or  compartment  for  each  hound 
on  the  ordinary  beds.  A  board  is  fixed  down  the 
middle,  which  may  vary  m  height  from  two  to  two  feet 
six  inches,  according  to  the  standard  of  the  pack.  The 
front  and  back  are  also  provided  with  a  similar  con- 
trivance, running  parallel  with  the  boards  in  the 
centre,  but  these  are  not  required  to  be  so  high.  The 
separate  compartments  are  then  formed  by  short  cross 
boards  extending  from  the  centre  to  the  back  and  front ; 
and  being  made  to  slide  into  grooves,  they  are  readily 
removed  for  the  purpose  of  replenishing  or  sihaking  up 
the  straw,  which  passing  under  these  boards  is  kept  neat 
and  straight.  Mr.  Jasper,  who  gave  me  the  details  of 
his  plan  some  years  since,  informed  me  of  the  complete 
success  which  he  had  experienced,  adding  many  good 
reasons  for  adopting  it.  Besides  that  of  rendering  the 
pack  free  from  kennel  lameness,  it  prevents  hounds 
fighting  or  defiling  their  beds,  and  every  hound  having 
once  taken  to  his  lodging  retains  it.  Mr.  Roberts 
followed  the  example  with  equally  satisfactory  results. 
Bad  as  was  the  condition  of  the  pack  with  which  Mr. 
Boycott  commenced,  part  of  that  which  Mr.  Holyoake 
began  with  was  still  worse.  Sir  Thomas  Boughey's 
hounds  were  sold  at  Birmingham,  and  the  late  Duke  of 
Cleveland's  being  disposed  of  at  the  same  time,  several 
lots  were  purchased  to  form  the  new  pack,  nine  couples 
of  which  were  put  forward.  I  certainly  never  saw  hounds 
in  such  a  woeful  condition.       However,  they  had  the 


186  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

whole  of  the  summer  to  dress  them  and  bring  them 
round,  which  was  to  all  appearance  done  satisfactorily. 
At  the  same  time  I  believe  it  to  be  utterly  impossible, 
when  hounds  have  been  reduced  by  neglect  to  such  a 
miserable  state  as  they  were,  to  re-establish  their  con- 
dition under  twelve  months;  and  some  never  recover  it 
at  all.  The  remainder  of  the  pack  (thirty-one  couples 
in  all)  was  composed  of  drafts  from  the  Ludlow,  Mr. 
Smyth  Owen's  Mr.  Candler's,  and  other  neighbouring 
hunts. 

In  1848  the  Earl  of  Stamford  and  Warrington  relieved 
the  members  of  the  Albrighton  Hunt  from  all  the  ex- 
penses attendant  on  the  undertaking.  His  lordship 
took  the  entire  management,  and  drew  William  Staples 
forth  from  the  inactive  duties  of  an  innkeeper,  to  which 
calling  he  had  devoted  himself  during  the  last  two  or 
three  seasons.  He  had  become  very  stout,  but  his  lord- 
ship supplied  him  with  horses  equal  to  his  weight.  After 
the  first  season,  greatly  to  the  regret  and  disappoint- 
ment of  the  resident  sportsmen,  Lord  Stamford  signified 
his  wish  to  withdraw,  but  most  liberally  engaged  to 
contribute  a  large  sum  to  the  maintenance  of  the  hounds, 
and  kindly  offered  several  valuable  horses  to  the  com- 
mittee, which  was  again  formed  to  conduct  the  arrange- 
ments, and  the  Honourable  Arthur  Wrottesley  under- 
took the  duties  of  mastership,  retaining  the  services  of 
William  Staples. 

Mr.  Thomas  Shaw  Hellier,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Vyner 
in  North  Warwickshire,  which  he  hunted  four  or  five 
seasons,  and  subsequently  the  South  Wold  country, 
came  forward  in  1852  and  relieved  Mr.  Arthur  Wrottes- 
ley from  his  duties.  A  better  selection  certainly  could 
not  have  been  made ;  for,  independent  of  his  general 
knowledge  of  everything  appertaining  to  the  '  noble 
science,'  as  he  was  born  in  the  country  and  passed  his 
noviciate  in  it,  he  is  perfectly  acquainted  with  every 
detail  necessary  to  afford  sport.  Edward  Bullen,  who 
was  with  Mr.  Hellier  in  the  South  Wold  country,  remains 
as  huntsman. 


THE  ALBRIGHTON  COUNTRY  187 

Although  I  have  not  seen  Mr.  Hellier's  hounds  since 
he  left  North  Warwickshire,  I  have  reason  to  know  he 
has  a  very  superior  pack.  He  commenced  upon  an 
excellent  principle,  that  of  procuring  them  in  the  first 
instance  from  one  or  two  of  the  most  celebrated  estab- 
lishments and  subsequently  breeding  a  sufficient  number, 
or  nearly  so,  every  year  to  form  his  entry.  This  is  im- 
portant for  obvious  reasons ;  by  doing  so  a  master  of 
hounds  knows  the  peculiar  excellences  or  failings  of  the 
progenitors,  which  he  cannot  ascertain  so  minutely  if 
he  procures  drafts  from  other  kennels.  On  this  subject 
Somerville  gives  some  excellent  counsel,  which  may  be 
found  at  page  123.  Beckford  also  observes  that  a  pack 
"  to  look  well  should  be  all  nearly  of  a  size ;  and  I  even 
think  they  should  all  look  of  the  same  family."  This 
latter  perfection  cannot  be  obtained  so  readily  if  a 
master  of  hounds  breeds  from  various  sorts  totally 
dissimilar  in  their  characters. 

Mr.  Hellier  procured  most  of  his  hounds  in  the  first 
instance  from  the  Earl  Yarborough's ;  some  from  the 
Quorn,  which  contained  much  of  the  Brocklesby  blood 
and  were  very  similar  in  appearance ;  a  few  from  Mr. 
Smyth  Owen's  and  the  Warwickshire.  The  following 
season  he  had  a  large  draft  of  unentered  hounds  from 
the  Duke  of  Rutland's  kennels,  fifteen  couples  and  a 
half  of  which  were  put  forward.  Upon  these  he  has 
engrafted  his  present  pack,  and  it  was  impossible  for 
him  to  choose  better  blood.  As  he  has  been  a  master  of 
hounds  fifteen  seasons,  having  made  good  use  of  his 
time,  there  is  no  doubt  he  has  a  most  superior  pack. 

There  are  many  serious  impediments  to  sport  of  a 
first-rate  character  in  the  Albrighton  country  which 
cannot  be  readily  overcome.  It  holds  a  very  indifferent 
scent ;  the  land  generally  being  of  a  light,  sandy  nature, 
except  in  wet  weather,  it  frequently  happens  there  is 
no  scent  at  all.  The  coverts,  though  not  large,  are 
numerous  and  very  strong;  consequently,  hounds  have 
great  difficulty  in  forcing  the  foxes  through  them.  The 
estates  are  in  the  hands  of  a  great  number  of  proprietors, 


188  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

and  with  the  exception  of  the  Duke  of  Sutherland's,  the 
Earls  Stamford  and  Warrington's,  and  Bradford's, 
Lords  Ward's  and  Wrottesley's,  Mr.  Gifford's  and  Mr. 
Moseley's,  are  small.  They  are  most  zealous  preservers 
of  foxes,  and,  without  asserting  that  any  of  the  landed 
proprietors  are  at  all  hostile  to  fox-hunting,  they  are 
very  fond  of  their  game.  There  is  a  great  abundance  of 
rabbits,  for  which  steel-traps  are  constantly  set,  and 
many  a  fox  is  sacrificed  by  that  means ;  and  I  know 
that  at  one  period  the  annual  destruction  was  so  ex- 
tensive as  to  render  it  imperative  to  procure  many  brace 
of  cubs  to  turn  down.  That  they  should  afford  much 
sport  could  not  be  expected,  and  the  only  remedy  that 
can  be  suggested  is  to  prevail  on  the  owners  of  the 
coverts  where  the  rabbits  are  abundant  to  have  wires 
set  instead  of  steel-traps. 

I  do  not  intend  to  stigmatise  any  of  the  landed  pro- 
prietors in  the  Albrighton  Hunt  with  the  unsportsman- 
like, unneighbourly  practice  of  wilfully  killing  the  foxes. 
I  am  quite  certain,  as  a  body,  they  are  as  zealous  in  the 
good  cause  as  in  any  other  country ;  and  some  years  ago 
there  was  one  worthy  individual  who  certainly  exceeded 
all  others  I  ever  met  with  in  his  affection  for  the  vulpine 
race.  This  person  was  an  honest  miller,  one  George 
Burgess,  who  lived  on  a  farm  belonging  to  the  Enville 
estate,  upon  which,  close  to  the  house,  there  was  a  gorse 
covert  in  which  a  litter  of  cubs  was  invariably  bred,  and 
they  were  as  regularly  fed  by  the  miller  as  any  of  his 
family.  He  was  not  only  a  very  good  friend  to  the 
foxes  but  a  very  hospitable  man  withal ;  pork-pies, 
bread  and  cheese,  and  ale,  were  always  provided  for 
those  who  liked  to  partake  thereof.  One  day,  when 
Sir  Bellingham  Graham  was  drawing  the  gorse,  I  called 
for  some  lunch,  when  the  hounds  found  a  fox,  and 
hastening  to  depart  Mrs.  Burgess  exclaimed,  "  Oh, 
they  have  found,  but  I  hope  they  wonH  kill  him.'^  The 
last  words  were  expressed  with  that  energy  which  pro- 
claimed that  they  came  from  the  heart.  He  ran  a  short 
way  and  returned,  by  which  time  the  earth  was  un- 


BOUNDARIES    OF    THE   ALBRIGHTON     189 

stopped,  a  proceeding  not  quite  fair  towards  the  hounds ; 
but  who  could  be  angry  with  such  affectionate  friends 
to  the  foxes  as  George  Burgess  and  his  wife  ?  He  had  a 
grey  horse  which  he  rode  for  many  years,  and  was  a 
very  constant  attendant  when  the  hounds  met  within 
reach.  Poor  fellow,  he  has  been  dead  some  years ;  but 
I  hope  there  are  many  of  the  good  sort  left. 

The  Albrighton  Hunt  claims  a  considerable  extent  of 
country  and  is  more  than  thirty-five  miles  from  north 
to  south.  The  coverts  of  Seighford  were  a  few  years 
since  drawn  by  these  hounds  ;  but  since  the  establishment 
of  the  North  Staffordshire  they  have  either  been  given 
up  to  them  or  held  neutral.  The  Ran  Dans  on  the 
southern  extent  are  neutral  with  the  Worcestershire. 
Hilton  Hall,  Lanely  or  Lowney  Green,  and  Teddesley, 
are  on  the  east,  oeyond  which  there  is  a  considerable 
extent  of  country,  including  Cannock  Chase,  which  has 
not  been  hunted  for  many  years.  Travelling  from  thence 
towards  the  south,  the  mining  districts  preclude  the 
possibility  of  hunting.  The  North  Staffordshire  Hunt  is 
at  the  northern  extremity,  and  the  Worcestershire  on 
the  south.  The  River  Severn  divides  the  western 
boundary.  Although  there  are  several  coverts  beyond, 
which  were  drawn  by  Mr.  Boycott,  Mr.  Walter  Gifford, 
and  Mr.  Thomas  Holyoake  previously  to  Mr.  Baker 
having  the  Wheatland  hounds,  that  is  a  country  which 
the  fastidious  first-flight  men  of  the  Albrighton  Hunt 
alwaj's  hold  in  sovereign  contempt — or  dread. 


CHAPTER   XI 


HAMPSHIRE 


It  is  a  singular  fact  that  Hampshire  although  far  from 
being  a  first-rate  country  should  have  so  many  packs 
of  hounds  as  there  are  kept  in  it ;  but  it  proves  the  good 
taste  of  the  inhabitants,  and  their  inherent  love  of  sport. 
The  great  celebrity  of  three  masters  of  hounds,  the  late 
Mr.  Chute,  the  late  Mr.  Villebois,  and  Mr.  Thomas  Asshe- 
ton  Smith,  has  no  doubt  been  to  a  great  degree  the  cause 
of  the  distinction  which  it  has  acquired,  and  serves  to 
show  how  much  may  be  effected  by  masters  of  hounds 
who  possess  the  talent,  the  means,  and  the  inclination. 
A  sportsman  who  is  a  stranger  travelling  through 
this  country  forms  a  highly  favourable  opinion  of  it  as  a 
fox-hunting  district.  It  appears  very  open,  the  fields 
large,  many  of  them  upwards  of  one  hundred  acres,  the 
coverts  do  not  inculcate  the  idea  of  being  extensive  or 
over  numerous,  and  therefore  he  judges  that  a  good 
wild  fox  and  a  superior  pack  of  hounds  must  insure 
sport.  With  that  view  I  took  up  my  abode  in  the 
county  three  seasons,  being  further  induced  to  do  so  in 
consequence  of  Lord  Gifford  at  that  time  hunting  what 
is  called  the  H.  H.  country,  previously  having  had 
experience  of  his  lordship's  talent  as  a  sportsman  in  the 
Vale  of  White  Horse. 

I  cannot  say  that  my  expectations  of  the  country 
were  altogether  realised.  It  certainly  is  open,  but  the 
foxes  do  not  very  often  face  that  part  of  it.  The  fences 
many  of  them  are  composed  of  hazel  twenty  or  thirty 
feet  wide,  and  are  cultivated  for  fuel ;  in  fact  what  would 
in  many  countries  be  called  belts  or  plantations.  These 
you  caimot  in  all  places  penetrate,   although  there  is 


THE  NEW    FOREST  191 

nothing  to  jump,  and  the  consequence  is  you  have  to 
ride  to  the  openings,  or  as  they  are  provincially  termed 
shards,  which  are  sometimes  protected  with  hurdles. 
There  is  a  considerable  portion  of  ploughed  land,  which 
in  wet  weather  is  distressingly  deep ;  and  in  parts  the 
flints  abound  most  excessively.  The  first  impression 
with  respect  to  the  coverts  is  erroneous ;  they  are  many 
of  them  very  large,  and  the  foxes  usually  run  from  one 
to  another ;  thus  the  hardest-riding  men  may  be  thrown 
out,  for  it  is  impossible  to  follow  hounds  through  them. 
The  only  alternative  therefore  is  to  keep  on  the  outside 
of  the  smaller  coverts,  and  follow  the  rides  through  the 
larger  ones,  when,  if  the  fox  turns  short  from  you,  in 
all  probability  you  are  thrown  out.  Many  of  the  woods 
are  light  in  the  bottom,  and  consequently  hounds  can 
run  nearly  as  fast  through  them  as  they  can  in  the  open. 
Of  brooks  there  are  very  few, and  there  is  not  much 
meadow  land ;  but  to  make  amends  for  that  there  are 
some  fine  open  downs,  over  which,  when  the  scent  is 
favourable,  hounds  can  rim  at  a  most  extraordinary 
pace. 

Although  the  New  Forest  takes  precedence  in  history 
as  the  hunting  domain  of  British  kings,  when  William 
the  Conqueror  is  said  to  have  extended  its  previous 
boundaries  and  converted  it  into  a  royal  chase,  and 
when  Rufus  his  son  exercised  despotic  sway  to  render 
his  hunting  grounds  exclusive  and  complete  for  the 
enjoyment  of  the  diversion  in  which  he  lost  his  life,  it 
is  comparatively  of  recent  date  that  fox-hunting  was 
introduced,  and  not  till  after  that  sport  had  been 
common  in  many  other  parts  of  England. 

The  first  pack  of  fox-hounds  of  which  there  is  any 
record  in  the  New  Forest  were  established  at  the  close 
of  the  last  century  by  Mr.  Compton,  who  was  succeeded 
by  Mr.  Gilbert.  In  1808  Mr.  John  Warde,  who  had  been 
up  to  that  period,  hunting  Northamptonshire,  where  he 
sold  his  hounds  with  the  exception  of  three  couples  of 
bitches  and  their  whelps  to  Lord  Althorp,  engaged  to 
hunt  the  New  Forest  and  purchased  thirty  couples  of 


192  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

hounds  from  the  late  Colonel  Cooke  to  enable  him  to 
fulfil  his  agreement.  This  talented  sportsman  of  olden 
days  experienced  a  sad  loss  and  disappointment :  mad- 
ness broke  out  in  his  pack,  whereby  he  lost  forty  couples 
of  hounds,  and  in  1814  gave  up  the  New  Forest  to  Mr. 
Nicol,  who  had  the  repute  of  being  at  that  time  a  very 
first-rate  sportsman  and  of  having  had  a  very  superior 
pack  of  hounds,  consisting  of  the  best  blood  from  the 
Duke  of  Beaufort's  and  hisi  predecessor's  keimels,  which 
in  the  year  1828  he  sold  to  Lord  Kintore  for  a  thousand 
guineas.  They  went  into  Aberdeenshire,  after  which 
Mr.  Wyndham  took  the  country  vacated  by  Mr.  Nicol, 
and  hunted  it  till  1838.  Mr.  Codrington  then  had  it 
four  years,  when  Captain  Sheddon  relieved  him  from  the 
duties  and  continued  till  the  spring  of  the  present  year, 
although  he  sold  most  of  his  hounds  in  1851  to  Mr. 
Thomas  Drake ;  subsequently  to  which  it  has,  I  believe, 
been  hunted  only  two  days  in  the  week.  Mr.  Theobald, 
who  had  been  hunting  a  country  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Bath  two  seasons,  has  now  engaged  to  hunt  this. 

Kennel  lameness  is  a  malady  said  to  afflict  hounds  in 
the  New  Forest  most  extensively  ;  and  such,  I  am  in- 
formed, isi  the  nature  of  the  soil  that,  build  kennels 
where  you  may,  the  disorder  makes  its  appearance. 
There  are,  however,  other  parts  of  Hampshire  where 
much  difficulty  exists  in  keeping  hounds  free  from  this 
painful  disorder. 

As  a  master  of  hounds,  an  amateur  huntsman,  and  a 
horseman,  Mr.  Thomas  Assheton  Smith's  name  ranks 
so  high  that  it  would  be  superfluous  in  me  to  attempt 
to  raise  his  fame.  I  have  no  data  by  which  I  can  state 
the  exact  period  when  Mr.  Smith  first  commenced 
hunting  in  the  neighbourhood  of  his  seat,  Tidworth 
House ;  but  I  apprehend  it  must  be  about  thirty  years 
since,  prior  to  which  the  country  had  been  irregularly 
hunted ;  in  fact  Mr.  Smith  formed  it.  On  making 
inquiry  from  the  oldest  sportsman  in  the  country,  a 
gentleman  who  was  a  frequent  guest  of  George  the 
Fourth  when  Prince  of  Wales,  then  residing  at  Kempshot 


OLD   HMIPSHIRE   PACKS  193 

House  between  Basingstoke  and  Winchester,  my  kind 
friend  wrote  me  a  long  letter  which  I  cannot  do  better 
than  transcribe.  As  he  is  still  an  enthusiastic  admirer 
of  fox-hunting  there  is  little  doubt  the  taste  was  en- 
grafted in  those  ver>^  early  days  which  he  alludes  to, 
when,  as  a  schoolboy  at  Andover,  Lord  Stawell's  hounds 
attracted  his  notice;  such  is  the  irresistible  force  of 
early  impressions.  My  communicative  correspondent  has 
not  only  supplied  the  names  of  the  respective  masters 
of  the  hounds  in  his  youthful  days,  but  has  given  a  brief 
account  of  their  proceedings  illustrative  of  the  life  and 
customs  of  fox-hunters  in  olden  times. 

"  Dear  Sir, 

"  I  think  in  the  year  1783,  I  was  at  school 
at  Andover,  and  recollect  that,  during  the  two  years  I 
was  there  Lord  Stawell  brought  a  clever  pack  of  fox- 
hounds to  the  Star  Inn,  kept  by  Mercer.  During  that 
time  I  saw  them  frequently  pass  the  school  on  their 
way  to  Doles  Wood  and  other  places.  Tom  Harrison 
was  the  name  of  the  huntsman,  who  lived  afterwards 
with  Mr.  Russell  at  Grey  well,  near  Odiham ;  whether 
George  Sharp  and  John  Richmond  were  at  that  time 
his  assistants  I  cannot  say.  Lord  Stawell,  I  believe, 
lived  at  Marsland,  near  Farnham,  and  hunted  about 
that  country.  I  presume  there  were  not  many  foxes  at 
that  time ;  in  consequence  his  pack  was  shifted  about  a 
good  deal.  For  instance,  he  had  a  kennel  at  the  public 
house  a  mile  out  of  Basingstoke,  on  the  Preston 
Candover  road ;  his  own  quarters  very  frequently  at 
Hackwood,  in  the  late  Duke  of  Bolton's  time,  where  I 
several  times  met  him,  the  duchess  having  taken  some 
notice  of  me  as  a  little  boy.  On  one  occasion,  early  in 
September,  we  found  a  vixen  and  six  cubs  in  Spring- 
wood.  The  vixen  got  away ;  and  in  about  two  hours 
we  killed  the  whole  of  the  litter.  About  two  years 
after,  Mr.  Barber,  of  Fremington  near  Barnstaple, 
brought  up  one  of  the  best  packs  of  the  day,  and 
hunted  a  great  part  of  Mr.  Smith's  country.  The  first 
year  he  came  to  the  Star  Inn — having  with  him  some 
very  choice  companions  from  Devonshire,  all  of  whom 
were  neighbours  to  my  mother's  family  and  other 
relations  ;   among  them  Colonel  Bassett,  who  succeeded 

N 


194  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

Sir    Thomas   Acland    as   master  of   the   stag-hounds  in 
Devon. 

"  Things  were  done  differently  from  what  they  are  in 
these  days.  I  expect  there  were  more  pipes  of  port  wine 
finished  by  this  party  and  their  neighbouring  jolly  com- 
panions during  their  winter  visits — perhaps  four — than 
have    been   since    in   twenty   years.        They  had   great 
assistance  in  their  festivities  as  well   as  field   pursuits 
from  such  as  we  seldom  see  now — Messrs.  Harry  and 
Walter  Blunt  of  Amport,  Colonel  Beaver,  with  several 
others.      General    Sir   Sidney  Meadows,  I  believe,  con- 
tinually  joined   them   in   the   evening.       Mr.    Pile,    an 
alderman   of   Andover,   who,  together   with   his  horse, 
numbered  a  hundred  years,  was  a  general  attendant  in 
the  field.     Jack  Haines,  the  star  of  Devon  huntsmen, 
was  idolised  by  all  the  Hampshire  sportsmen ;  and  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  him  cut  off  several  brushes,  having 
frequently    gone    with    my  brother    Etonians,  Newton 
and  Coulson  Wallop,  from  Hurtsbourne.     Mr.  Poyntz, 
I  believe,  for  many  years  hunted  a  part  of  Mr.  Smith's 
country  from  Midgham,  and  for  several  years  was  in 
the  habit  of  bringing  a  strong  pack  to  the  Red  Lion  at 
Overton.     He  lived,  during  his  visits  there,  at  the  large 
inn;   but   always  slept  at   the   Red  Lion,  his    bedroom 
looking   into   the   kennel.      His    hounds    derived  some 
advantage  from  what  those  of  the  present  day  seldom 
do;  for  they  had    plenty  of  room  to  make  their  casts. 
Eight  pounds  was  the  maximum  price  for  the  hunters, 
and     no     corn     allowed     between     Lady     Day    and 
Michaelmas.       The    hounds     were    never    over-ridden. 
John    Topper,    huntsman,  had    sometimes    difficulty  in 
keeping  his  hounds  together.   During  the  last  few  years 
of  Mr.  Poyntz's  hunting  he  invariably  came  to  covert  in 
his  carriage  and  four,  with   two   postilions ;    his    valet, 
John  Child,  assisting  Topper  in  the  field.     Also  Topper 
had   sometimes  a  boy   to   assist   in  bringing  the    three 
horses.       Freefolk  was  a  very  favourite  covert  with  my 
old  friend ;    for  being  large,  he   usually   went   there   on 
Monday  and  the  following  Wednesday ;  also  because  he 
had   frequently  a   tired  fox   to    hunt,   and    besides   he 
picked  up  the  hounds   which  were   left  behind.       He 
continued   his   hounds  very    late    in   life,    and   latterly 
seldom  left  his  carriage.    To  insure  amusement,  he  had 
a  loaded  gun  ready  for  a  shot  at  a  hare,  or  partridge, 
or  whatever  came  in  his  way.     He  was  always  a  very 


OLD  HAMPSHIRE  PACKS  195 

agreeable  companion;  and  I  remember  with  gratitude 
his  kindnessi  to  me  when  a  boy.  The  Honourable  W. 
Bowes,  assisted  by  his  brother-in-law  Barry  Price,  had 
a  clever  small  pack  two  or  three  seasons,  lying  at  the 
inn  at  Everleigh ;  and  I  frequently  joined  them  from 
the  late  Mr.  Beache's  at  Netheravon,  and  recollect  a 
capital  run  from  Southgrove,  their  best  covert.  An 
active  man,  Wilkinson,  well  known  in  Leicestershire, 
was  their  huntsman.  Mr.  Powlett  Powlett  of 
Somboume  used  for  many  years  to  hunt  the  Stock- 
bridge  side.  He  also  patronised  Overton  some  months 
in  the  year,  and  from  thence  the  Crux  Easton  district. 
His  twenty-four  good  runs  from  Freefolk  Wood  are  not 
yet  forgotten.  It  happened  that  between  the  time  of 
Mr.  Poyntz  and  the  latter  gentleman  there  was  a 
general  carnage  of  the  vermin,  and  only  a  few  old  cun- 
ning foxes  remained.  Mr.  Smith,  the  father  of  the 
present  gentleman,  always  kept  a  strong  pack  of 
harriers  at  Tidworth ;  and  I  believe  latterly  they  were 
all  small,  high-bred  fox-hounds,  and  generally  hunted 
foxes.  I  am  sorry  I  cannot  supply  you  with  dates ;  but 
if  there  is  any  other  information  you  wish  for  that  is  in 
my  power  to  give  you,  I  shall  be  happy  to  do  so. 

"  Yours  truly, 

"  T     T  " 


This  letter  furnishes  an  admirable  sketch  of  the  mode 
in  which  fox-hunting  was  conducted  in  former  days. 
Lord  Stawell's  hounds,  like  the  Old  Berkeley,  were 
removed  from  one  part  of  the  country  to  another  as 
foxes  happened  to  be  heard  of,  and  their  destruction 
was  as  much  the  motive  for  hunting  as  sport — instance 
the  case  of  killing  six  cubs  in  September.  Our  fore- 
fathers were  no  doubt  jovial  souls;  but  of  what 
materials  their  heads  were  composed  to  endure  such 
potations  of  port  it  is  difficult  to  imagine.  And  what 
an  old  veteran  the  alderman  of  Andover  must  have 
been !  There  is  an  originality  in  the  management  of 
Mr.  Poyntz'  hounds,  and  if  we  take  it  as  a  specimen  of 
fox-hunting  in  early  times,  the  high  fame  which  Mr. 
Meynell  attained  in  Leicestershire  is  accounted  for. 
Hounds  constantly  moving  from  one  place  to  another, 


196  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

with  very  inadequate  kennel  accommodation,  never 
could  be  in  condition;  and  woeful  must  have  been  the 
plight  of  those  unfortunate  creatures  which  were  on 
'  the  loose '  in  Freefolk  Wood  from  Monday  to  Wednes- 
day. The  gun  to  shoot  "  at  a  hare  or  partridge,  or 
whatever  came  in  his  way,"  savours  very  much  of  the 
French  custom ;  but  I  hope  for  the  honour  of  the 
ancient  order  of  fox-hunters  that  he  never  assisted  his 
hounds  unlawfully.  It  is  true  Mr.  Poyntz  did  not  take 
any  unfair  advantage  of  the  vulpine  family  in  the  con- 
dition of  his  horses,  which  was,  no  doubt,  on  an 
equality  with  that  of  his  hounds. 

I  am  unable  to  state  from  what  source  Mr.  Smith's 
pack  was  at  first  formed ;  but  his  very  extensive  estates 
in  Wales  afford  facilities  for  breeding  a  vast  number  of 
hounds  annually.  Many  years  since  this  gentleman 
gave  Sir  Richard  Sutton  one  thousand  guineas  for  a 
pack  of  hounds ;  and  when  the  Duke  of  Grafton  gave 
up  hunting  in  1842  his  Grace's  hounds  were  introduced 
into  the  Tidworth  kennel  at  a  similar  price.  Carter, 
who  had  been  hunting  them,  was  engaged  to  succeed 
Richard  Burton.  The  bone  and  power  they  possess  are 
quite  extraordinary,  and  that  without  any  approach  to 
coarseness,  constituting  the  very  perfection  of 
symmetry,  so  difficult  to  acquire.  The  usual  comple- 
ment is  generally  about  one  hundred  couples  of  hounds 
in  kennel,  a  very  ample  number  although  they  do  hunt 
six  days  in  the  week ;  but  Mr.  Smith  likes  a  full  pack 
in  the  field,  and  five  or  six  and  twenty  couples  are 
usually  taken  out — a  number  equal  to  what  is  kept  for 
two  days  a  week  in  many  of  the  provincial  countries. 
The  blood  is  in  great  request,  especially  among  the 
neighbouring  hunts.  Bangor,  Newsman,  Bobadil, 
Nabob,  and  Nigel,  are  stallion  hounds  of  great 
celebrity,  particularly  so  the  latter;  and  I  have  seen 
many  of  his  progeny,  which  are  excellent.  They  are 
generally  of  a  grey-pie,  or  light  hair-pie  colour,  and 
may  be  distinguished  by  their  symmetrical  proportions. 
They  had  a  hound  in  the  Vine  kennels  a  few  years  since 


TOM   ASSHETON   SMITH  197 

by  him,  and  named  after  him,  out  of  Mr.  Smith's 
Boscobel,  quite  the  champion  of  the  pack. 

Mr.  Smith  hunts  his  own  hounds  four  days  in  the 
week,  for  which  he  of  course  drafts  the  pick  of  his 
kennel,  and  selects  the  best  portion  of  his  country. 
George  Carter  works  the  young  hounds  in  the  wood- 
lands on  Wednesdays  and  Saturdays ;  and  sometimes 
they  have  a  bye-day,  when  of  course  there  are  two 
packs  out.  The  woods  in  which  Carter's  pack  usually 
operate  are  Wherwell  (provincially  pronounced  Orrel) 
Wood,  Doles  Wood,  and  Faccombe  Wood,  and  they 
are  admirably  adapted  for  the  purpose  of  entering 
hounds  and  making  them  steady.  The  old-fashioned 
custom  of  flogging  hounds  for  chasing  hare  is  com- 
pletely dispensed  with.  If  at  any  time  a  hare  jumps 
up  before  them  and  a  few  should  join  in  chase,  a 
whipper-in  rides  to  head  them,  and  the  instant  they 
check  turns  them  to  the  horn  with  a  rate  but  scarcely  a 
cra^k  of  the  whip ;  as  to  a  thong  being  laid  on  a  hound 
in  such  cases,  it  is  not  permitted.  Plenty  of  work,  and 
encouragement  to  hunt  their  fox,  are  the  only  means 
resorted  to  for  the  prevention  of  riot.  Hares  are  not 
generally  over  numerous  in  the  county  of  South- 
ampton. 

Mr.  Assheton  Smith's  countr^'^  is  very  open, 
especially  that  portion  of  it  which  is  in  Wiltshire,  on 
the  borders  of  Salisbury  Plain,  over  which  a  fox  oc- 
casionally makes  his  point.  This  the  western  boundary 
is  joined  by  the  South  Wiltshire  Hunt,  Mr.  Wyndham's. 
Oare  Hill,  three  miles  and  a  half  from  Marlborough,  is 
the  extreme  northern  point  of  meeting,  and  Savemake 
Forest,  near  at  hand,  is  in  the  Craven  country,  which 
traverses  from  thence  in  the  direction  of  Kingsclere. 
Stratford  Sub  Castle  near  Salisbury,  Clarendon  Park, 
and  Spirewell  are  the  southern  limits,  which  adjoin  the 
New  Forest  country.  The  Hursley  and  Vine  Hunts  lie 
towards  the  east. 

The  warmest  thanks  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  neigh- 
bourhood are  due  to  Mr.  Smith  for  the  splendid  establish- 


198  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

ment  which  he  maintains  entirely  at  his  own  exp>ense, 
and  the  superior  sport  which  these  hounds  afford  in  a 
country  by  no  means  first-rate  is  incontestible  evidence 
of  the  judgment  with  which  the  hunting  arrangements 
are  conducted.  Considering  that  Mr.  Smith  had  been 
for  many  years  accustomed  to  hunt  in  the  Quom  and 
Belvoir  Vale,  where  grass,  ox-fences  and  gorse  coverts 
prevail,  it  occasions  some  surprise  that  this  celebrated 
sportsman  could  reconcile  himself  to  so  great  a  change. 
The  possession  of  property  around  his  mansion  may 
have  been  the  inducement,  and  a  more  worthy  impulse 
cannot  be  suggested.  Foxes  are  zealously  preserved ; 
indeed  it  would  be  ungrateful  of  the  landowners  if  they 
were  not  mindful  of  such  a  return  for  Mr.  Smith's 
liberality. 

It  will  be  gleaned  from  the  letter  of  my  friend  that 
Mr.  Powlett  Powlett  occasionally  brought  his  hounds  to 
Overton  to  hunt  the  surrounding  neighbourhood.  About 
the  commencement  of  the  present  century  the  late  Mr. 
Chute  of  the  Vine  near  Basingstoke  kept  a  pack  of 
harriers,  which  he  very  soon  converted  into  fox-hounds 
and  established  the  country  known  by  the  name  of  the 
estate.  Having  been  a  master  of  hounds  some  thirty 
years  this  gentleman  is  said  to  have  formed  an  exceed- 
ingly clever  pack  famed  for  stoutness  and  symmetrical 
proportions.  The  quaint  motto  over  the  kennel  door, 
Multum  in  parvo,  was  particularly  characteristic  of 
their  merits.  They  are  to  this  day  spoken  of  by  old 
sportsmen  who  were  in  the  habit  of  hunting  with  them 
as  having  been  remarkably  well  adapted  to  the 
country,  and  showing  a  vast  deal  of  sport.  Mr.  Chute 
at  his  decease  in  1824  left  a  sum  of  money  to  be  paid 
annually  to  the  support  of  his  favourites,  provided  they 
still  retained  the  name  of  '  The  Vine  Hounds.'  After 
that  event  they  were  kept  during  very  short  periods  by 
Mr.  Beaver  and  Mr.  Pole  of  West  Ham,  when  Mr. 
Henry  Fellowes  undertook  the  management  of  them, 
and,  I  have  every  reason  to  believe,  improved  them 
considerably  by  procuring   the   best   blood    and    drafts 


THE   VINE   HOUNDS  199 

from  the  Duke  of  Beaufort  and  Mr.  Assheton  Smith's 
kennels. 

In  1835  Mr.  Donnithorne  Taylor  became  the  master 
of  the  Vine  hounds ;  but  he  only  kept  them  one  season, 
when    Mr.    Fellowes    resumed    the    important    office. 
Adamson  occupied  the  situation  of  huntsman  for  many 
years.       Sir    Richard    Ryecroft,    Bart.,    of    Manydown 
Park,    succeeded   Mr.    Fellowes,    and   engaged  William 
Cox  as  the  huntsman,  he  having  previously  hunted  the 
Hampshire    hounds    for    Captain    Haworth,    where    he 
gained   much  reputation.      Mr.    St.    John   relieved    Sir 
Richard  Ryecroft  in  the  year  1849,  still  retaining  Cox 
to  hunt  the  hounds.    If  evidence  were  wanting  to  show 
the  disadvantages  which  arise  from  changes  of  masters 
of  hounds  and  huntsmen,  this  would  afford  a  most  con- 
vincing example.     During  the  period  when  Sir  Richard 
Ryecroft    had    the    management,    the    breeding    and 
kennel  details  were  left  entirely  to  the  huntsman.       As 
soon  as  Mr.  St.  John  took  the  command  he  essayed  to 
make  many  alterations,  especially  in  the  breeding  and 
feeding  departments.       He  was  anxious  to  introduce  a 
very  different  style  of  hounds,  and  procured  a  lot  which 
had  been  drafted  from  Mr.  Drake's  draft.    Assimilating 
the    condition    of    hounds    with   the    training    of    grey- 
hounds,   sheeps'    trotters    were    substituted    for    horse- 
flesh ;  an  experiment  which  did  not  continue  the  season 
through.    Had  Mr.  St.  John  kept  the  hounds  longer,  so 
as  to  have  established  the  kind  he  appeared  anxious  to 
introduce,  he  might  in  time  have  formed  a  pack  with 
some   pretensions ;    but   during  the  period   when   such 
changes   are   being  effected   the   pack   must    inevitably 
suffer.     This  gentleman  relinquished  his  trust    at    the 
conclusion  of  his  third  season  to  Captain  Mainwaring, 
son  of  Sir  Henry  Mainwaring,  Bart.,  of  Peover  Hall  in 
Cheshire,    who    was    for    many   years    master    of   the 
Cheshire  hounds. 

The  Vine  country  claims  additional  distinction  from 
the  patronage  for  many  years  afforded  by  the  hero  of  a 
hundred  fights,  the  late  Duke  of  Wellington.    Although 


200  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

the  Strathfieldsaye  estate  is  in  the  country  formerly 
hunted  by  the  late  Sir  John  Cope  and  now  by  Mr. 
Wheble,  and  his  Grace  has  not  many  coverts  in  the 
Vine  Hunt  with  the  exception  of  those  at  Wolverton 
Park  and  Ewhurst,  he  was  for  many  years  prior  to  his 
death  a  very  liberal  subscriber  to  the  Vine  houndsi; 
something  equivalent  to  a  third  of  their  annual  expen- 
diture being  contributed  by  the  gallant  Duke.  Fox- 
hunting derived  not  an  insignificant  prestige  when  the 
name  of  so  great  a  hero  became  enlisted  among  many 
other  zealous  promoters.  Justly  appreciating  the  ad- 
vantages which  a  taste  for  fox-hunting  is  certain  to 
inspire,  his  Grace  gave  great  encouragement  to  the 
officers  under  his  command  to  join  in  the  chase  when 
employed  on  foreign  service.  Duly  estimating  the  con- 
sistency of  the  noble  Duke's  character,  it  is  not  pro- 
bable that  he  should  relax  in  what  he  regarded  as  a 
duty  when  peaceably  enjoying  the  reward  of  his  valour 
and  of  his  countrymen's  gratitude  in  the  possession  of 
an  estate  awarded  as  an  appropriate  tribute.  During 
many  seasons  his  Grace  was  a  frequent  attendant  in 
the  field,  both  with  the  Vine  and  Sir  John  Cope's 
hounds ;  yet  numerous  public  duties  and  increased  age 
must  of  late  years  have  operated  materially  to  prevent 
his  appearance  at  the  covert  side.  None  but  the  purest 
motive — that  of  patronising  a  national  amusement 
essential  to  the  welfare  of  his  country — could  have 
actuated  his  Grace  to  continue  the  large  amount  of 
£500  per  annum  under  such  circumstances. 

The  anniversary  of  the  judges  making  their  accus- 
tomed circuit  was  for  many  years  the  occasion  of  the 
Bramshill  hounds  meeting  at  Strathfieldsaye.  Those 
learned  personages  were  invited  to  meet  the  masters  of 
hounds  in  the  neighbourhood  on  the  previous  day,  to 
partake  of  the  hospitalities  of  this  his  Grace's  favourite 
country  seat.  The  meeting  of  the  hoimds  was  a  great 
attraction,  to  which  sportsmen  far  and  near  resorted, 
all  intent  upon  a  good  purpose.  It  may  be  inquired 
why  the  Duke   of  Wellington   subscribed   to  the   Vine 


THE   VINE   COUNTRY  201 

hounds  when  Sir  John  Cope  hunted  the  greater  portion 
of  the  country  in  which  the  Strathfield&aye  estates  were 
situated,  and  met  at  the  gallant  Duke's  seat.  This 
may  be  readily  answered.  Sir  John  Cope  did  not 
receive  or  require  any  subscription,  which  after  Mr. 
Chute's  death  the  Vine  did. 

The  foxes  being  well  preserved,  this  country  admits 
of  being  hunted  four  days  in  the  week.  It  may  be 
divided  into  two  districts,  the  woodland  and  the  hills, 
or  rather  the  open,  for  there  are  but  few  hills  in  it.  The 
woodlands  are,  in  my  humble  opinion,  the  most  un- 
suitable for  fox-hunting  of  anything  that  can  be  con- 
ceived, albeit  there  are  those  who  delight  in  them. 
They  are  so  disposed  that  the  coverts  are  not  only 
numerous  but  extensive,  and  the  hedgerows  are  so  very 
wide  that  to  see  hounds  from  the  time  they  are  put 
into  covert  till  the  time  they  kill  or  lose  their  fox  is 
rarely  practicable.  The  flints,  in  some  parts,  are  very 
numerous,  and  often  productive  of  accidents.  During 
the  three  years  I  hunted  in  this  country  I  had  six 
horses,  three  of  which  met  with  bad  accidents  in  conse- 
quence of  the  flints.  One,  jumping  into  a  road  where 
there  were  many  loose  ones,  slipped  down  and  cut  his 
knees.  Another  horse  tore  his  shoe  off  and  lacerated 
his  foot  severely,  from  the  shoe  becoming  locked,  as  it 
were,  with  a  large  flint  embedded  in  the  earth.  The 
third  horse  cut  his  hind  fetlock  in  a  shocking  manner  in 
galloping  over  a  flinty  field.  He  divided  an  artery,  and 
the  hemorrhage  was  frightful ;  but  getting  him  to  a 
farm-house,  binding  it  up  tightly,  and  applying  a 
ligature  round  the  leg,  he  recovered. 

The  quickest  run  I  saw  with  the  Vine  hounds 
during  my  residence  in  Hampshire  was  on  the  20th  of 
January,  1849,  on  which  day  they  met  at  Nuthanger. 
They  drew  Fro  Park,  where  they  soon  found,  and  the 
fox  broke  in  the  direction  of  Kingclere,  but  turned  to 
the  right  over  the  vale,  upwind  to  Sidmonton  Down, 
which  is  rather  a  severe  hill;  at  all  events  it  proved  so 
on  this  occasion,  both  to  hounds  and  horses.       Such  a 


202  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

tailing  of  the  latter  with  nothing  but  pace  to  contend 
against  I  never  saw  on  any  other  occasion.  Having 
gained  the  summit,  where  there  was  a  slight  fog,  the 
pace  became  first  rate,  and  at  the  farther  extremity  of 
the  downs  the  hounds  came  to  a  check,  literally  from 
being  blown.  With  more  haste  than  judgment  they 
were  immediately  cast  to  the  left  in  the  direction  of 
some  earths,  but  they  could  not  recover  the  scent,  and 
after  trying  a  long  time  quite  in  the  opposite  line  to 
what  the  fox  had  taken,  it  was  discovered  that  at  the 
point  where  the  hounds  checked  the  fox  bad  turned  to 
the  right  down  the  hill,  followed  by  three  couples  of 
hounds,  which  the  fog  and  the  breast  of  the  hill  hid 
from  observation.  They  followed  on  the  line  of  the  fox 
to  the  covert  in  which  he  was  found,  and  were  not  at 
first  missed.  The  time  from  the  fox  breaking  covert  to 
the  check  was  twenty-three  minutes.  Tread  well,  the 
whipper-in,  had  a  few  months  previously  been  dis- 
charged, and  his  place  was  not  filled  up  by  an  efficient 
substitute. 

Nine  days  afterwards  the  Craven  hounds  found  the 
same  fox,  and  gave  a  different  account  of  him.  Fro 
Park,  it  must  be  observed,  is  neutral  with  both  hunts. 
These  hounds  found  him  in  the  siame  part  of  the 
covert ;  he  broke  at  the  same  point  and  was  viewed  by 
Clark,  the  first  whip,  who  got  the  hounds  away  in  a 
body  in  a  very  workmanlike  manner.  They  soon 
settled  down  to  the  scent  and  raced  to  the  same  point 
as  the  Vine  had  done,  as  far  as  the  bottom  of  Sidmon- 
ton  Down,  but  the  pace  was  too  great  and  the  fox  was 
too  closely  pressed  to  admit  of  his  bearing  to  the  right 
and  facing  the  choking  hill  as  he  had  done  before,  and 
he  kept  on  by  a  more  easy  ascent  to  Combe  Hole,  and 
thence  to  Canon's  Heath,  where  they  experienced  a 
slight  check.  They  soon  recovered  it  by  a  masterly 
cast,  crossed  the  Roman  road  to  Ridgeway  Heath 
through  a  small  spinny  bearing  a  little  to  the  left,  and 
straight  to  Overton  Court  Farm,  where  running  from 
scent  to  view  he  was  pulled  down   in  the  Harrow-way 


THE    CRAVEN  203 

road,  in  thirty-two  minutes.  The  reason  the  Craven 
hounds  succeeded  more  fortunately  than  the  Vine  may 
be  readily  accounted  for :  they  got  away  upon  better 
terms  with  their  fox.  The  Vine  not  having  an  efficient 
whipper-in  were  dreadfully  slack  in  leaving  the  coverts 
and  being  slow  in  settling  to  the  scent  lost  the  most 
important  crisis. 

The  notoriety  and  fame  which  the  late  Mr.  John 
Villebois  attained  as  a  sportsman,  and  the  high  esteem 
in  which  he  was  held  as  a  country  gentleman,  very 
materially  raised  the  character  of  Hampshire  in  public 
estimation  as  a  hunting  district  at  a  time  when  fox- 
hunting was  growing  into  favour.  His  Majesty  George 
the  Fourth,  when  Prince  of  Wales,  at  one  period 
resided  at  Kempshot  Park,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
H.  H.  (the  abbreviated  distinction  of  the  Hampshire 
Hunt) ;  and  the  Prince's  Feathers  with  which  the 
buttons  are  still  ornamented  are  the  emblems  of  royal 
patronage.  His  Royal  Highness  also  keeping  a  pack 
of  stag-hounds  attracted  the  wealthy  men  of  fashion, 
and  doubtless  Hampshire  was  in  those  days  the  scene 
of  much  sylvan  and  jovial  harmony.  Mr.  Villebois' 
hounds    are    described    as   having   been   very    superior. 

At  his  decease,  in  1837  they  were  left  to  his  brother, 
Mr.  F.  Villebois,  master  of  the  Craven  hounds,  who  in 
return  presented  his  pack  to  Major  Barrett  to  hunt  the 
H.  H.  country  with.  The  blood  of  the  latter  wasi  prin- 
cipally from  Mr.  T.  A.  Smith's,  the  Honourable  H. 
Moreton's,  Mr.  Osbaldeston's,  and  Mr.  J.  Villebois' 
kennels,  some  of  which  may  be  still  traced  in  the 
present  establishment,  although,  from  changes  of 
mastership  and  divisions  of  the  pack,  it  must  be  very 
considerably  dispersed. 

In  February,  1840,  I  met  these  hounds  twice,  once  at 
Farley  Mount,  and  once  at  North  wood  Park ;  and  from 
the  very  high  encomiums  I  had  heard  of  their  hunts- 
man, Richard  Foster,  was  particularly  anxious  to  have 
seen  a  run.  But  the  elements  decided  against  it,  for  it 
does  not  require  the  aid  of  my  memorandum-book  to  re- 


204  RECORDS    OF    THE   CHASE 

fresh  my  memory  that  the  weather  on  both  days  was 
remarkably  boisterous.  Foster  had  been  huntsman  to 
Lord  Foley's  hounds  in  Worcestershire,  previously  to 
his  engagement  with  Mr.  Villebois,  and  his  talent  was 
highly  appreciated.  When  in  Hampshire,  of  late  years, 
he  got  a  good  deal  upon  the  telegraph  system,  for 
which  the  open  nature  of  the  country  is  somewhat 
seductive.  By  sending  a  whipper-in  forward  to  view 
the  foxes  as  they  pass  from  covert  to  covert  a  vast  deal 
of  assistance  may  be  given  to  hounds,  but  it  is  not  a 
workmanlike  method  of  hunting  them. 

Having  kept  them  seven  years,  Major  Barrett  gave 
the  hounds  up  to  Mr.  Onslow,  when  the  members  of  the 
hunt  built  new  kennels  at  Ropley,  to  supply  the  place 
of  those  which  had  heretofore  been  occupied  for  many 
years  at  Arms  worth,  and  William  Cox  was  engaged  as 
huntsman.  At  this  period  the  Hursley  country  was 
portioned  off  and  entered  upon  by  Mr.  Cockburn,  a 
very  zealous  sportsman  from  Devonshire.  Mr.  Onslow 
only  kept  the  H.  H.  a  short  time,  when  Captain 
Haworth  became  the  master  and  retained  Cox  in  his 
situation. 

Lord  Gifford  succeeded  in  1847,  bringing  with  him  a 
pack  of  hounds,  with  which  he  had  been  showing  a  vast 
deal  of  sport  in  Herefordshire.  These,  in  conjunction 
with  the  pack  left  by  his  predecessor,  formed  a  very 
powerful  body;  and  many  a  good  run  did  they  show. 
Lord  Gifford's  quickness  and  determination  shone  con- 
spicuously; and  I  shall  ever  remember  a  run  on  the 
18th  of  February,  1850,  when  they  met  at  Lasham,  and 
found  in  the  wood,  from  whence  they  went  away  at  a 
tremendous  pace  to  Weston  Common,  where  they 
crossed  the  line  of  a  fresh  fox,  and  the  hounds  divided. 
This  being  instantly  noticed  by  Lord  Gifford  and  Grant 
(ever  alive  to  his  lordship's  horn),  the  hounds  that  had 
got  upon  the  fresh  fox  were  immediately  stopped,  the 
body  of  the  pack  and  their  noble  master  holding  on 
with  their  hun^td  fox  by  Blounce's  Farm,  over  Swain's 
Hill   nearly  U    Crondall,  and  killed   between   Famham 


THE  H.  H.  205 

and  Bentley  after  a  capital  run  of  one  hour  and  thirty- 
five  minutes.  The  workmanlike  manner  in  which  the 
hounds  were  managed  by  Lord  Gifford  and  his  whipper- 
in  when  they  divided  was  the  ne  plus  ultra  of  per- 
fection; and  Grant's  quickness  in  getting  forward  with 
the  tail  hounds  was  equally  a  subject  for  praise.  I  have 
never  seen  any  whipper-in  do  his  work  better  than 
Grant  when  whipping-in  to  Lord  Gifford. 

The  country'  known  as  the  H.  H.  is  by  no  means  one 
in  which  a  hard-riding  man  has  opportunities  for  dis- 
tinction; neither  did  I  ever  think  it  was  quite  the  kind 
of  country  to  suit  Lord  Gifford ;  in  which  opinion  it 
would  appear  his  Lordship  concurred,  retaining  it  only 
three  seasons,  when  he  made  an  arrangement  to  hunt 
Herefordshire.  However  rough  the  latter  country  may 
be,  it  is  a  sporting  one  withal,  capable  of  affording 
some  good  substantial  old-fashioned  runs,  and  of 
putting  the  qualities  of  hounds  and  the  skill  of  their 
huntsman  to  the  test.  Lord  Gifford  met  with  a  very 
rough  reception  early  in  the  cub-hunting  season,  not 
from  either  the  sportsmen  or  farmers,  who  were  all 
rejoiced  to  receive  him,  but  from  a  nest  of  hornets. 
They  met  at  Trebandy  on  the  1st  of  October,  where 
they  found  a  leash  of  foxes,  and  presently  settling  to 
one  of  them,  ran  him  to  ground  in  a  bank  over-hanging 
a  brook,  when  his  Lordship  jumped  off  his  horse  to 
examine  the  place,  and  was  momentarily  assailed  by  a 
quantity  of  hornets  which  the  unexpected  visit  had 
aroused  from  their  nest  in  an  old  ash-pollard.  Lord 
Gifford  was  glad  to  retire  from  their  territories  with  all 
imaginable  precipitancy,  but  was  unable  to  escape  their 
venomous  weapons,  with  which  they  attacked  him 
about  the  head,  neck,  and  hands.  The  gentlemen  and 
farmers  who  were  present  extracted  the  stings,  and  the 
acuteness  of  the  pain  being  allayed,  determined  that 
his  hounds  should,  if  possible,  have  blood,  he  drew  for 
another  fox,  which  in  an  hour's  time  was  brought  to 
hand,  compensating  him  in  some  measure  for  the  agony 
he  had  experienced.    All  who  are  acquainted  with  Lord 


206  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

Gifford  are  well  aware  of  his  pluck.  After  such  a  painful 
assault  most  men  would  have  gone  home  rather  than 
have  drawn  again ;  and  killing  his  second  fox  under  such 
circumstances  is  a  proof  of  what  enthusiasm  will  cause  a 
master  of  hounds  to  undergo  for  the  purpose 
of  obtaining  blood.  It  was  some  time  before  the 
inflammation  produced  by  the  stings  of  those 
venomous  insects  wasi  entirely  subdued. 

Lord  Gifford  has  shown  great  sport  in  Herefordshire, 
but  the  season  of  1852  and  1853,  which  will  ever  be 
remembered  in  the  annals  of  fox  hunting  as  the  wet 
season,  was  essentially  unfavourable  to  that  county;  a 
great  portion  of  it  was  continually  flooded,  and  it  was 
therefore  impracticable  to  ride  over  it ;  and,  the  scent 
failing  in  the  flooded  grounds,  they  were  not  always 
able  to  finish  satisfactorily  with  their  foxes. 

A  new  master  of  fox-hounds  in  the  person  of  Mr. 
Wall  came  forward  to  hunt  the  Hampshire  country  on 
the  resignation  of  Lord  Gifford,  and  all  the  necessary 
arrangements  were  made  for  the  campaign.  Mr. 
Napper's  hounds  were  purchased  to  fill  up  the  vacancy 
occasioned  by  Lord  Gifford  taking  his  own  hounds  with 
him.  Some  men  are  doomed  to  be  "  doubly  blessed," 
and  such  was  Mr.  Wall's  case.  No  sooner  were  the 
arrangements  completed  for  hunting  the  H.  H.  than 
the  Hursley  became  vacant  by  the  death  of  the  worthy 
and  highly  esteemed  master,  Mr.  Cockbum.  This 
country  being  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Mr.  Wall's 
residence,  he  determined  upon  taking  it,  which  wdth 
the  H.  H.  would  entail  the  necessity  of  having  a  pack 
in  the  field  six  days  in  the  week.  He  was,  however, 
relieved  from  so  heavy  an  engagement  by  the  gentle- 
men of  the  H.  H.  taking  their  country  off  his  hands; 
Mr.  Knight  of  Chawton  House  undertaking  the  prin- 
cipal responsibilities.  They  commenced  hunting  with 
fifty-five  couples  of  hounds,  about  twenty  couples  of 
which  were  those  purchased  by  Mr.  Wall  from  Mr. 
Napper  but  given  up  to  the  club  on  Mr.  Wall  taking  to 


THE    HAMBLEDON  207 

Mr.  Cockburn's.  They  were  a  thick-set,  cloggy  sort  of 
hounds,  as  different  as  possible  from  the  H.  H.,  and 
however  they  might  be  calculated  to  hunt  in  strong 
deep  woodlands  they  were  certainly  not  adapted  to 
associate  with  the  speedy  hounds  of  the  present  day. 
Summers,  who  had  been  hunting  the  hounds  for  Mr. 
Napper,  and  previously  to  that  for  Mr.  Richardson  in 
Sussex,  came  with  them  into  Hampshire.  Having  but 
few  opportunities  of  seeing  his  performances  and  those 
entirely  in  the  woodlands,  I  can  only  observe  that  in 
the  tedious  and  patience-provoking  occupation  of 
hunting  a  foil-running  fox  he  certainly  excels. 

The  year  1852  ushered  in  another  aspirant  to  the 
honours  of  M.F.H.,  and  these  hounds  were  transferred 
to  Mr.  R.  Pearce  of  South  Warnborough,  a  young  but 
very  energetic  sportsman.  Having  begun  early  in  life 
it  is  to  be  hoped  he  will  continue  for  many  years.  Such 
numerous  changes  must  affect  the  pack  seriously. 
Every  master  of  hounds  may  be  quite  correct  in  the 
alteration  which  he  is  desirous  to  accomplish,  but  it  is 
the  alteration  which  occasions  the  mischief,  and  more 
particularly  so  if  there  is  not  time  for  it  to  be  matured 
before  another  system  is  introduced.  Mr.  Pearce  has 
exercised  good  judgment  by  introducing  a  large  draft 
from  Earl  Fitzhardinge's  kennel,  a  sort  which  cannot 
fail  to  be  particularly  useful  in  Hampshire. 

During  my  residence  in  this  country  I  was  very 
anxious  to  have  seen  the  Hambledon  hounds,  but  from 
uncontrollable  circumstances  I  was  prevented.  My 
desire  to  do  so  was  augmented  by  various  causes  :  it 
has  been  hunted  by  several  masters  of  hounds  of  high 
repute,  among  others  by  Sir  Bellingham  Graham  and 
Mr.  Osbaldeston,  and  at  the  time  I  was  in  the  county 
by  Mr.  T.  Smith,  who  may  be  said  to  have  rescued  it 
from  becoming  vacant.  This,  however,  was  some 
thirty  years  ago,  since  which  time  several  other  gentle- 
men have  hunted  it  while  Mr.  Smith  was  providing 
sport  in  the  Craven  and  Pytchley  countries,  but  again 
to  return  to  the  scene  of  his  early  experience  in  w^ood- 


208  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

craft.  With  a  very  insufficient  subscription  this  good 
sportsman  afforded  much  sport,  and  relinquished  his 
charge  to  Mr.  Wall  in  the  spring  of  1852. 


CHAPTER  XII 

STAGHOUNDS 

The  ancient  and  royal  diversion  of  stag-hunting  is 
coeval  with  the  earliest  annals  of  sporting  in  the 
British  empire.  In  honour  of  it  sovereigns  and  princes 
levied  tyrannical  inflictions  on  their  subjects,  but  those 
evils  have  long  since  passed  away,  and  we  are  content 
to  read  of  them  in  history,  and  rejoice  at  their  dissolu- 
tion. The  abolition  of  rigorous  enactments)  adopted  in 
the  uncivilised  feudal  ages  is  deserving  of  common 
gratitude  from  all  who  make  the  excellence  of  our  con- 
stitution a  national  and  proverbial  boast. 

The  Forest  Laws  were  not,  however,  all  repealed  at 
once,  although  the  exactions  were  relaxed.  In  the  year 
1814  Windsor  Forest  was  disafforested ;  but  it  is  only 
recently  that  similar  concessions  have  been  made 
respecting  the  New  Forest  in  Hampshire,  and  the 
Forest  of  Dean  in  Gloucestershire. 

When  the  preservation  of  deer  in  the  royal  forests  be- 
came only  partially  enforced,  and  those  places  were  no 
longer  retained  for  the  exclusive  privileges  of  royal 
hunting,  a  new  custom  was  introduced — that  of 
keeping  deer  for  the  purpose,  and  conveying  them  to 
the  place  of  meeting  in  a  cart,  there  to  be  enlarged  at 
an  appointed  hour.  This  obviates  the  evils  which  pre- 
viously existed  in  the  preservation  of  the  game,  and  also 
the  necessity  of  harbouring  the  stag  and  driving  him 
from  his  lair  with  two  or  three  hounds  called  tufters, 
according  to  ancient  usage,  which  must  have  entailed 
much  uncertainty  and  frequently  occupied  much  time. 
Yet  it  should  be  admitted  that  it  divests  the  amuse- 
ment of  the  wildness  of  character,  uncertainty,  and 
enthusiasm  inseparable  from  legitimate  sporting. 
Conveying  the  stag  in  a  cart  is  somewhat  synonymous 
with  turning  down  a  bag  fox. 
o 


210  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

The  royal  buck-hounds,  though  kept  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Windsor  for  many  ages,  were  formerly 
kept  at  Swinley,  where  I  believe  the  kennels  were  in  the 
reigns  of  Henry  the  Eighth  and  Queen  Elizabeth,  both 
of  whom  are  said  to  have  taken  great  delight  in  the 
chase.  It  is  on  record  that  Henry  the  Eighth,  after  a 
severe  chase,  dined  with  the  old  Abbot  of  Reading,  to 
the  ruin  of  the  latter.  In  the  year  1684,  during  the 
reign  of  Charles  the  Second,  a  wild  deer  was  found  at 
Swinley  in  Windsor  Forest  and  was  hunted  thence  into 
Essex,  where  he  was  taken  at  Thorndon  Hall,  the  seat 
of  Lord  Petre.  The  chasie  led  through  Amersham  and 
Chesham  in  Buckinghamshire,  Redboum  and  Hatfield, 
in  Hertfordshire,  and  ended  at  Brentwood.  There  was 
a  large  field  out  in  the  morning,  but  only  five  went  to 
the  end,  and  they  remained  for  the  night  at  Lord  Petre 's. 
The  Duke  of  York,  brother  to  Charles,  was  out  on  the 
occasion  and  was  present  when  the  deer  was  taken. 
The  distance  must  have  exceeded  seventy-five  miles. 

The  Ascot  kennels  have  been  in  use  many  years. 
George  the  Third  was  an  enthusiastic  admirer  of  stag- 
hunting,  and  during  the  early  part  of  his  reign  the 
establishment  was  in  great  force ;  but  at  one  period  it 
fell  into  a  very  ineffective  state.  That,  however,  was 
speedily  altered  by  his  Royal  Highness  the  Prince 
Regent,  who  in  the  year  1814  commanded  the  purchase 
of  the  Duke  of  Richmond's  fox-hounds,  which  were 
forthwith  installed  in  the  Ascot  kennels.  This  gave  a 
fresh  impetus  to  stag-hunting,  as  the  hounds  which  had 
previously  been  used  for  the  purpose  were  of  a  coarse, 
heavy  description,  with,  as  I  imagine,  a  very  near 
alliance  to  the  blood-hound.  In  the  reign  of  George 
the  Third  and  his  royal  predecessors  it  was  the  practice 
to  stop  the  hounds  whenever  they  outpaced  their 
sovereign; — an  operation  which  could  not  be  on  all 
occasions  effected  with  high-bred  fox-hounds,  even  if  it 
were  desired ;  but  the  plan  of  stopping  them  has  been 
for  many  years  abandoned. 


THE   ROYAL   BUCKHOUNDS  211 

As  Somerville  mentions  this  custom,  it  was  doubtless 
practised  in  the  time  of  George  the  Second. 

"  If  haply  tlien 
Too  far  escap'd,  and  the  gay  courtly  train 
Behind  are  cast,  the  huntsman's  clanginp;  whip 
Stops  full   their  bold  career;   passive  they  stand, 
Unmov'd,  an  humble,  an  obsequious  crowd. 
As  if  by  stern  Medusa  gaz'd  to  stones." 

Mr.  Charles  Davis  has  for  many  years  presided  as 
huntsman  to  the  royal  buck-hounds.  His  fame  is  so 
widely  spread  that  it  would  be  vain  in  me  to  attempt 
to  increase  it.  Few  men  are  so  amply  gifted  by  nature 
with  the  symmetry  of  a  horseman.  Although  rather 
tall,  he  is  of  very  spare  make,  with  thin,  lengthy  legs 
and  thighs ;  and  his  seat  in  the  saddle  is  perfect. 

For  many  years  the  royal  hounds  were  grievously 
afflicted  with  kennel-lameness.  Every  remedy  that 
could  be  suggested  (except  that  which  I  have  alluded 
to  in  these  pages  as  having  been  successful  with  Mr. 
Jaspers  and  Mr.  Roberts's  harriers)  has  been  adopted ; 
and  there  is  no  doubt  they  have  been,  to  a  certain 
extent,  productive  of  good  results,  perhaps  as  much  so 
as  the  locality  will  permit.  The  usual  complement  of 
hounds  is  about  fifty  couples ;  and  there  is  a  good  deal 
of  Mr.  Foljambe's  and  Mr.  T.  A.  Smith's  blood  in  these 
kennels ;  but  of  late  years  they  have  bred  nearly  all  the 
hounds  they  require  to  enter. 

Until  within  the  last  few  years  these  hounds  were 
accustomed  to  pay  a  visit  in  the  spring  of  the  year  to 
the  New  Forest,  where  they  hunted  the  wild  stags, 
after  the  custom  of  the  ancients ;  and  it  was  an  oc- 
casion which  attracted  a  vast  number  of  sports,men. 
They  also  generally  took  an  annual  trip  to  the  Vale  of 
Aylesbury,  where,  favoured  with  grass,  they  had 
clipping  runs.  But  those  days  are  gone  by;  and  as 
that  country  is  now  regularly  hunted  by  Baron 
Rothschild,  the  admirers  of  stag-hunting  residing  in 
that  quarter  enjoy  a  succession  of  sport,  whereas  pre- 


212  RECORDS   OF   THE    CHASE 

viously  they  had  only  occasional  tastes  of  it.  The 
country  to  which  the  appointments  of  the  royal  buck- 
hounds  are  principally  confined  is  that  around  the 
Ascot  kennels,  extending  from  Beaconsfield  on  the 
north  to  Woking  on  the  south.  Hayes  is  the  nearest 
point  to  London,  and  the  Warren  House  the  most 
distant  in  a  westerly  direction.  In  the  neighbourhood 
of  Windsor,  Salt  Hill,  Slough,  Riching's  Park,  Beacons- 
field,  Gerard's  Cross,  Red  Hill,  Denham,  and 
Uxbridge,  there  is  a  fair  proportion  of  grass,  and  in 
many  parts  some  strong  fences.  In  that  about  Ascot, 
Swinley  (comprising  Bagshot  Heath,)  Chobham, 
Woking,  and  Bracknell,  it  is  of  a  sandy,  peaty  char- 
acter, which  in  wet  weather  is  exceedingly  deep  and 
distressing  to  horses.  There  is  much  heath,  and  like- 
wise several  extensive  fir  plantations,  which  are  impedi- 
ments to  first-rate  sport.  These  hounds  have  been  a 
great  acquisition  to  the  admirers  of  stag-hunting 
residing  in  London,  and  particularly  to  the  officers 
quartered  in  and  near  to  Windsor;  perhaps  more 
so  previously  to  the  establishment  of  railroads,  which 
convey  them  most  expeditiously  into  fox-hunting 
quarters. 

The  next  pack  of  stag-hounds  which  demands  notice 
were  those  of  Earl  Derby,  the  grandfather  of  the 
present  Earl,  who  established  them  about  the  year 
1780,  and  kept  them  with  princely  magnificence  till 
1830,  when  declining  health  and  the  infirmities  of  age 
precluded  his  lordship  from  participating  in  the  sport, 
and  he  presented  the  hounds  and  deer  to  his  old  and 
trusty  huntsman,  Jonathan  Griffin.  They  were  kept 
on  two  years  by  subscription,  with  Mr.  Maberly  as  the 
principal  manager;  but  although  there  was  no  defici- 
ency of  funds  that  gentleman  declined  the  management 
and  no  one  else  being  disposed  to  embark  in  the  respon- 
sibilities, they  were  sold  at  Tattersall's  in  1832.  During 
the  time  Lord  Derby  kept  them  the  kennels  were  at  the 
Oaks,  and  their  sport  was  principally  confined  to  the 
countv  of  Surrev. 


LORD   ROTHSCHILD'S  213 

When  the  Honourable  Moreton  Berkeley,  now  Earl 
Berkeley,  and  his  brother  the  Honourable  Grantley 
Berkeley  came  of  an  age  to  hunt,  they  kept  a  pack  of 
harriers  at  the  family  seat  at  Cranford ;  but  they  were 
soon  converted  ino  stag-hounds.  It  was  a  truly  aristo- 
cratic establishment.  The  earl  hunted  them,  and  Mr. 
Grantley  Berkeley  whipped  in.  Another  brother,  the 
Honourable  Henry  Berkeley,  joined  them  for  a  short 
time,  taking  the  occupation  of  second  whipper-in. 
When  he  withdrew  he  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Henry 
Wombwell,  who  officiated  as  whipper-in.  They  all 
wore  the  orange  plush  or  ancient  tawny  coats 
of  the  Berkeley  family,  with  black  velvet  hunting 
caps.  This  continued  about  twelve  years,  the  only 
change  in  it  being  that  Mr.  Grantley  Berkeley  became 
master  of  the  hounds  and  hunted  them  himself,  the 
earl  and  Mr.  Henry  Wombwell  whipping-in  to  him. 
They  afforded  abundant  sport,  and  were  highly 
popular.  About  1829  or  1880  they  were  given  up,  and 
Mr.  Grantley  Berkeley  entered  into  arrangements  to 
hunt  the  Oakley  country,  vacated  by  the  then  Marquis 
of  Tavistock,  now  Duke  of  Bedford.  Mr.  Grantley 
Berkeley  gave  them  up  in  1834,  to  attend  to  the  urgent 
calls  of  parliamentary  duties. 

The  far-famed  Baron  Rothschild's  stag-hounds  enliven 
the  country  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Aylesbury ;  their 
kennels  are  at  Mentmore  and  the  establishment  is  vastly 
popular  with  London  stag-hunters.  They  are  kept  in 
the  most  liberal  manner,  and  are  in  every  respect  de- 
serving the  esteem  in  which  they  are  held.  The  superi- 
ority of  their  country,  in  the  Vale  of  Aylesbury,  prin- 
cipally grass,  is  a  great  attraction,  and  the  facility 
with  which  they  can  be  reached  by  railway  at  all  their 
places  of  meeting  is  a  great  accommodation. 

A  few  years  since  a  very  clever  little  pack,  all 
'  ladies,'  was  kept  at  Leamington  by  Mr.  Henry 
Bradley.  If  any  stag-hunter  is  sceptical  concerning  the 
capabilities  of  small  hounds  he  might  have  been  con- 
vinced by  the  operations  of  these.      They  scarcely  ex- 


214  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

ceeded  twenty  inches  in  height,  but  the  pace  they  could 
go  over  the  grass  grounds  at  Kites  Hard  wick,  Priors 
Marston  or  Ladbroke,  was  quite  extraordinary,  and  for 
stoutness  they  could  not  be  excelled.  They  were 
hunted  in  a  very  workmanlike  style  by  their  worthy 
master,  and  the  establishment  was  in  every  respect 
ably  conducted.  The  utmost  neatness  prevailed 
throughout  every  department. 

Cheltenham  has  also,  till  the  present  season,  had  a 
pack  of  stag-hounds,  to  which  the  Earl  Fitzhardinge, 
with  his  accustomed  liberality,  afforded  support  by 
finding  the  deer  and  also  occasional  drafts  of  hounds, 
although  his  lordship  never  joined  them  in  the  field. 
A  pack  is  likewise  kept  at  Bath,  but  as  few  gentlemen 
are  willing  to  undertake  the  management  and  defray 
the  greater  portion  of  the  expenses  out  of  their  own 
pockets,  some  difficulty  is  experienced  in  continuing 
them.  Nevertheless  Captain  West  contends  against 
these  obstacles  with  great  perseverance.  The 
Cheltenham  stag-hounds  were  certainly  an  accommoda- 
tion to  sportsmen  residing  there  during  the  months  when 
Earl  Fitzhardinge 's  hounds  are  in  their  Berkeley 
country.  But  at  Bath  it  is  rather  a  different  affair. 
The  Duke  of  Beaufort's  hounds  are  generally  within 
reach,  if  not  by  the  road  at  all  events  by  the  rail;  the 
amount  of  an  annual  subscription  to  stag-hounds  will 
defray  the  expenses  by  rail,  and  it  certainly  does  not 
involve  any  dereliction  of  taste  to  prefer  hunting  with 
the  duke  to  a  pack  of  stag-hounds,  let  them  be  ever  so 
well  appointed. 

The  north  of  Devonshire  and  Somersetshire  is  the  only 
part  of  England  where  stag-hunting  is  conducted  ac- 
cording to  the  original  fashion,  where  the  game  is 
harboured  by  a  man  accustomed  to  that  duty,  who  is 
requited  according  to  ancient  usage  for  his  service  and 
who  can  tell  by  the  slot  the  age  of  the  stag.  The  prac- 
tices appear  to  be  precisely  similar  to  those  which  are 
described  by  Edmund  of  Langley,  from  whose  work  I 
have  made  some   extracts   in  the  early  pages  of  this 


STAG    HUNTING    IN    DEVONSHIRE       215 

volume.  This  must  certainly  be  the  most  exciting 
mode  of  pursuit ;  but  it  appears  to  be  going  fast  to 
decay,  despite  the  exertions  of  several  zealous  sup- 
porters of  the  time-honoured  sport.  The  wandering 
propensities  of  the  deer  in  their  wild  state  cause  them 
to  travel  many  miles  in  search  of  favourite  food ;  con- 
sequently there  is  great  difficulty  in  preserving  them. 
I  am  informed  that  the  damage  they  do  is  often  con- 
siderable ;  for  on  entering  a  field  of  turnips,  they  will 
only  partially  consume  the  roots,  leaving  the  re- 
mainder, which  soon  rots ;  and  if  a  stag  only  takes  a 
single  bite  at  a  turnip  it  may  be  readily  conjectured  that 
he  will  taste  a  great  number  before  his  hunger  is 
appeased ;  and  as  cultivation  is  gradually  spreading  up 
the  sides  of  the  moors,  the  injuries)  will  year  by  year 
become  more  extensive.  Their  company,  therefore,  is 
not  welcomed  by  the  small  farmers,  who  require  com- 
pensation for  the  damages  they  sustain ;  but  considering 
that  it  is  the  last  relict  of  the  ancient  custom  of  stag- 
hunting,  it  will  be  a  subject  of  much  regret  if  some  re- 
munerative arrangements  cannot  be  effected. 

Those  who  have  participated  in  it  represent  this  kind 
of  hunting  as  highly  exciting,  and  I  can  readily  con- 
ceive it  to  be  so.  To  view  one  of  these  splendid  red 
deer  come  bounding  from  the  thicket  with  all  the  energy 
and  confidence  of  a  wild  and  free  animal,  pursued  at 
that  moment  by  none  but  the  tufters,  whom  by  his 
looks  he  appears  to  regard  with  insignificant  contempt, 
must  be  an  interesting  scene.  And  then  when  the 
anxiously-waiting  pack  is  laid  on  the  scent  the  pace  is 
no  doubt  terrific.  To  follow  them  over  so  wild  a 
country  perchance  a  distance  of  twenty  or  thirty  miles, 
where  treacherous  bogs  and  impassable  ravines  impede 
the  progress  of  the  most  determined  horsemen,  must 
afford  a  zest  immeasurably  superior  to  that  which  is 
experienced  in  the  ordinary  mode  of  stag-hunting.  Not 
that  I  for  one  should  desire  to  ride  constantly  over  a 
country  that  cannot  in  most  parts  be  crossed  upon  a 
horse  that  is  entitled  to  the  name  of  a  hunter;  yet  the 


216  RECORDS    OF    THE   CHASE 

speculation,  if  I  may  use  such  an  expression,  of  falling 
in  with  hounds  to  enjoy  their  company  in  rideable  places 
is  perfectly  consistent  with  this  species  of  hunting. 
Those  who  are  acquainted  with  the  country  must  possess 
manifest  advantages  over  strangers ;  in  fact  it  is  quite 
evident  that  bogs,  dingles,  ravines,  and  other  imprac- 
ticable passes,  by  whatever  provincial  name  or  names 
they  may  be  distinguished,  can  only  be  avoided  or 
negotiated  by  persons  who  are  intimately  acquainted 
with  their  locality. 

Not  being  a  professed  stag-hunter  myself  I  must 
plead  guilty  to  some  diffidence  in  discussing  the  sub- 
ject, but  I  must  observe  it  is  not  a  sport  to  my  taste. 
I  may  sum  up  my  experience  of  it  with  a  notice  of  the 
very  few  occasions  on  which  I  have  joined  in  the 
amusement.  With  the  Aldenham  buck-hounds,  as  they 
were  styled,  which  I  have  noticed  as  the  connecting 
link  of  what  are  now  known  as  the  Wheatland  hounds, 
I  may  have  hunted  about  a  dozen  times,  but  that  was 
quite  thirty  years  ago.  Capital  fun  we  had ;  and,  be  it 
remembered,  it  was  always  with  outlying  deer  which 
had  escaped  from  the  park  and  which  were  found  in 
coppices  in  a  manner  very  similar  to  the  practice  still 
continued  in  North  Devon,  except  that  the  whole  body 
of  the  hounds  were  thrown  into  covert  to  draw  for  their 
game.  Twice  I  have  met  the  Royal  stag-hounds  when 
George  IV.  was  King,  and  once  during  her  present 
Majesty's  reign,  in  October,  1849,  before  they  had  com- 
menced regular  operations  for  the  season.  The  deer 
was  enlarged  at  Southill  and  taken  at  Everley,  after  a 
good  hunting  run.  I  was  out  twice  with  Mr.  Bradley's 
hounds,  and  once  with  the  Cheltenham  stag-hounds 
during  the  time  they  were  under  the  management  of 
Mr.  Barton. 

To  those  who  are  intent  upon  a  gallop  and  to  whom 
time  is  of  importance  stag-hunting  is  particularly 
adapted.  The  stag  is  seldom  enlarged  till  twelve 
o'clock,  and  a  run  of  three  hours  must  be  sufficient  for 
the  greatest  glutton.      Yet  compared  with  fox-hunting 


STAG  HUNTING  v.  FOX  HUNTING         217 

there  is  a  lameness  about  it — an  artificial  character  not 
quite  in  accordance  with  the  true  spirit  of  a  sportsman. 
Keeping  an  animal  in  a  semi-domesticated  state,  con- 
veying him  to  the  place  of  meeting  in  a  cart  to  be  en- 
larged and  hunted  by  hounds,  is  certainly  not  in  ac- 
cordance with  my  views  of  legitimate  sport.  Hunting 
an  animal  of  such  a  size  that  he  can  constantly  be 
viewed  detracts  vastly  from  the  association  of  ideas 
connected  with  the  sagacity  of  the  hound.  In  the  little 
experience  I  have  had  I  have  never  seen  hounds  when 
following  the  stag  run  together,  which  failing  is  con- 
firmed by  the  acknowledgment  of  all  those  with  whom 
I  have  conversed,  and  who  are  well  able  to  form  an 
opinion.  The  perfection  of  hunting,  in  the  estimation 
of  one  accustomed  to  fox-hunting,  is  certainly  lost 
when  the  pack  do  not  run  together  and  carry  a  good 
head.  The  stratagems  of  the  fox  and  also  of  the  hare 
are  wonderful,  and  occasion  a  vast  deal  of  excitement, 
besides  the  talent  of  the  huntsman  which  they  call  in 
requisition,  as  well  as  the  instinctive  faculties  of  the 
hounds.  The  stag  resorts  to  few  subterfuges,  with  the 
exception  of  the  unavailing  one  of  running  through  a 
herd  of  his  own  species  if  he  has  an  opportunity,  and, 
when  distressed,  provokingly  taking  soil — the  most  ob- 
jectionable feature  in  a  run,  and  an  unsatisfactory 
termination  of  a  day's  sport,  which  Somerville  thus 
describes : 

"  He  vents  the  cooling  stream,  and  up  the  breeze 
Urges  his  course  with  eager  violence ; 
Then  takes  the  soil,  and  plunges  in  the  flood 
Precipitant ;   down  the  mid  stream  he  wafts 
Along,  till   (like  a  ship  distress'd,  that  runs 
Into  some  winding  creek)  close  to  the  verge 
Of  a  small  island,  for  his  weary  feet 
Sure  anchorage  he  finds;  there  skulks  immers'd 
His  nose  alone  above  the  wave  draws  in 
The  vital  air;  all  else  beneath  the  flood 
Conceal'd  and  lost,  deceives  each  prying  eye 
Of  man  or  brute." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

RAILWAYS    AND    HUNTING 

In  whatever  situation  an  Englishman  fixes  upon  to 
reside,  his  love  for  the  chase  accompanies  him.  If  it 
be  his  fate  or  his  taste  to  lead  a  country  life,  he  must 
be  a  melancholy  creature  unless  he  beguiles  some  of 
his  leisure  hours  with  the  sports  of  the  field.  The  murky 
dull,  oppressive  atmosphere  of  the  metropolis  does  not 
extinguish  the  ainor  venandi;  peradventure  it  serves  to 
increase  it  by  the  contrast  it  affords  to  the  pure  air  of 
the  fields,  and  the  elastic,  exciting,  enthusiastic, 
exhilarating,  bounding,  bracing,  buoyant  accompani- 
ments of  the  chase.  We  are  informed  that  many 
centuries  ago  the  Lord  Mayor  of  the  great  city  kept  a 
pack  of  hounds,  and  that  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields,  St. 
James's,  and  May  Fair  were  the  favourite  places  of 
meeting;  that  the  civic  dignitaries  and  functionaries 
had  ample  food  whereon  to  feed  their  venatic  appetite. 
Increase  of  population  drove  the  game  further  afield, 
and  however  the  ardour  of  the  mind  might  be  attracted 
by  sylvan  pastimes,  the  difficulty  of  enjoying  them,  in 
consequence  of  the  distance,  precluded  many  from 
making  the  attempt. 

To  trace  the  means  which  were  available  for  sports- 
men residing  in  London  through  remote  ages  would  be 
a  task  imposing  much  tedious  research  to  very  little 
purpose ;  it  is  quite  sufficient  to  mention  the  difficulties 
they  had  to  encounter,  up  to  a  time  considerably  be- 
yond the  first  quarter  of  the  present  century,  and  com- 
pare them  with  the  facilities  of  the  present  day.  Pre- 
viously to  the  establishment  of  railways,  the  principal 
packs  within   reach  of  London  were  the   Royal  Stag- 


LONDON   SPORTSMEN  219 

hounds ;  the  late  Earl  Derby's  stag-hounds ;  the  Old 
Berkeley  fox-hounds,  given  up  in  1842 ;  those  which 
hunted  the  country  now  hunted  by  Lord  Dacre ;  the 
late  Mr.  Conyer's ;  the  Surrey  Union ;  the  Surrey  fox- 
hounds, and  the  Surrey  stag-hounds.  There  might  have 
been  some  others,  which  I  do  not  recollect  to  have 
heard  of ;  that,  however,  is  immaterial ;  but  to  meet 
any  of  them  it  was  imperatively  necessary  to  send  a 
horse  to  sleep  out  on  the  night  previous  to  hunting,  and 
it  was  by  no  means  improbable,  if  the  hounds  ran  to  a 
distant  point,  that  he  would  also  have  to  remain 
out  the  night  after  hunting — a  most  vexatious 
necessity ;  for  nothing  tends  to  injure  a  hunter's  con- 
dition more  than  a  journey  on  the  day  after  a  severe 
run  with  hounds.  It  is  a  time  when  the  loose  box  is 
most  essentially  necessary  for  the  resting  of  his  wearied 
and  jaded  limbs.  Under  such  circumstances  a  horse 
would  not  be  fit  to  come  again  oftener  than  once  in  a 
fortnight ;  therefore  to  make  it  a  general  practice  was 
out  of  the  question.  The  only  alternative  was  that  of 
keeping  horses  in  the  country  within  reach  of  whatever 
pack  of  hounds  were  chosen  to  hunt  with. 

The  Royal  Stag-hounds  at  one  period  took  pre- 
cedence in  the  estimation  of  the  aristocratic  and 
fashionable  devotees  of  Diana,  and  they  still  have  a 
few  fixtures,  Hayes,  Bedfont,  and  the  Magpies,  within 
about  thirteen  miles  of  London ;  but  their  best  country 
cannot  be  reached  under  twenty  miles.  Croydon 
formerly  attracted  the  fast  men  from  the  east ;  and  fox- 
hunting, as  I  have  been  informed,  was  perpetuated  in 
those  parts ;  but  I  speak  not  from  experience,  never 
having  hunted  in  Surrey,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
days  with  Colonel  Sumner's  hounds. 

Irrespective  of  the  inconvenience  connected  with  the 
horse  department,  another  obstacle  stood  prominently 
in  the  way  of  the  London  sportsman's  pleasure,  that  of 
getting  to  the  place  of  meeting  himself.  To  ride  a  hack 
twenty  miles  to  meet  hounds,  hunt  all  day  and  return 
afterwards,  was  an  exertion  few  would  venture  to  en- 


220  RECORDS    OF    THE   CHASE 

counter.  A  gig  was  one  mode  of  conveyance,  posting 
another;  the  first  uncomfortable,  the  latter  expensive. 
I  think  I  have  now  stated  sufficient  to  show  how  many 
difficulties  beset  the  sportsman  in  former  days  who  was 
compelled  to  reside  in  London ;  we  will  now  take  a  view 
of  his  amended  position  in  1854. 

Never  having  hunted  from  London  myself  I  cannot 
speak  from  experience ;  and  therefore  to  avoid  leading 
any  of  my  readers  astray,  I  have  sought  information 
from  gentlemen  accustomed  to  do  so,  and  therefore 
insert  their  kind  communications. 


"  Dear  Sir, 

"  As  you  requested  me,  I  send  you  the  result  of 
my  experience  in  hunting  from  London. 

"  To  the  metropolitan  sportsman  of  the  present  day 
steam  (or  rather  the  production  through  its  agency,  the 
rail)  is  of  incalculable  value.  It  was  at  first  considered 
that  the  railways  would  eventually  result  in  the  total 
destruction  of  fox-hunting,  as  the  trains  would  sweep 
the  lines  at  the  time  the  hounds  were  in  chase  of  their 
game,  to  the  utter  annihilation  of  the  whole  pack,  if 
they  did  not  operate  as  a  check  upon  the  wily  animal 
in  making  his  point  altogether.  Experience  has,  how- 
ever, proved  that  such  is  not  the  case,  or  a  rare  occur- 
rence. Not  only  do  they  enable  the  Londoner  to  select 
a  superior  pack  of  hounds  and  a  good  country  as  the 
arena  of  his  day's  diversion;  but  they  afford  facilities 
previously  unattempted  to  the  provincialist  to  trans- 
port himself  and  his  horse  to  distant  meets  of  adjoining 
hunts  far  beyond  his  reach  in  former  times,  even  had  he 
sent  his  horse  over-night  to  sleep  at  the  nearest  hotel — 
a  practice  which  was  fraught  with  great  inconvenience 
and  considerable  expense,  as,  in  addition  to  the  wear 
and  tear  on  the  road  to  the  legs  of  a  used  hunter,  I  have 
known  many  horses  off  their  feed  in  a  strange  stable ; 
besides  which,  the  change  of  temperature  in  winter 
which  he  would  have  to  encounter  would  be  very  likely 
to  operate  prejudicially  upon  his  condition.  At  the 
present  period,  a  man  residing  in  London  may  on  any 
day  in  the  week  select  to  hunt  with  any  of  the  numerous 
packs  of  fox  or  stag-hounds  within  fifty  miles  in  the 
vicinity  of  the   various   railways,   and   either  take   his 


HUNTING  FROM    LONDON  221 

horse  on  the  Kne,  and  return  after  hunting  with  a  day- 
ticket,  or  send  him  the  day  before. 

"The  North-western  Hne  I  should  say  decidedly 
affords  the  greatest  advantages;  as  on  that  line  a  man 
may  reach  Lord  Dacre's  hounds  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Watford,  Boxmoor,  or  Berkhamptead  at  the  cost, 
self  and  horse,  of  from  15s.  to  £l  4s. ;  or  Lord 
Lonsdale's  fox-hounds,  his  lordship's  harriers,  and 
Baron  Rothschild's  stag-hounds,  from  Tring  or 
Leighton  Buzzard,  at  from  30s.  to  35s. ;  from  Leighton 
Buzzard  or  Bletchley,  Mr.  Selby  Lownde's  hounds 
could  have  been  reached  last  year  (since  which  this 
country  has  been  taken  by  Lord  Southampton  and 
added  to  his  own).  From  Wolverton,  and  then  ex- 
tending beyond  the  circuit  of  fifty  miles,  Blisworth  and 
Weedon  take  you  within  reach  of  Lord  Southampton's 
original  country  and  the  Pytchley ;  from  Rugby,  other 
parts  of  the  Pytchley,  the  Atherstone  and  Warwick- 
shire ;  from  Aylesbury  (a  branch  of  the  North-western 
line)  may  be  reached  Baron  Rothschild's  stag-hounds 
and  Mr.  Drake's ;  from  Winslow  and  Buckingham  on 
the  Bletchley  and  Oxford  line,  Lord  Southampton's 
and  Mr.  Drake's ;  on  the  Bletchley  and  Bedford  line 
the  Oakley  may  be  reached. 

'•  I  have  frequently  hunted  from  London  with  the 
Pj-tchley,  Warwickshire,  Atherstone,  and  Quorn 
hounds,  leaving  Euston  Square  by  the  half-past  six  train 
in  the  morning,  and  returning  the  same  evening,  and 
have  occasionally  gone  down  by  the  nine  o'clock 
express  with  Sir  R.  Sutton,  when  the  hounds  have  met 
at  twelve  o'clock,  in  order  to  enable  him  to  travel  by 
this  train;  this,  however,  is  an  exceptional  case.  I  have 
met  Baron  Rothschild's  hounds  at  seven  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  kennels  at 
Mentmore,  (about  three  miles  from  the  Leighton 
station),  and  having  had  a  very  good  run  of  one  hour 
and  a  half  over  the  finest  grass  country  in  England, 
taking  the  deer  about  four  miles  beyond  Aylesbury, 
have  been  back  in  London  about  half-past  eleven  in 
the  morning;  on  the  other  hand,  I  have  left  London  as 
late  as  twelve  o'clock  to  meet  these  hounds  in  the  Vale 
of  Aylesbury,  and  seen  a  run  of  two  hours,  returning 
to  London  in  time  for  a  late  dinner.  This  proves  that 
the  Vale  of  Aylesbury  affords  facilities  for  hunting  to 
a  man  whose  time  is  valuable  that  no  other  country 


222  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

can  afford ;  as  although  the  usual  hour  these  hounds 
meet  is  about  half-past  eleven,  yet  the  Baron  has 
frequently  a  bye-day,  especially  at  the  end  of  the 
season,  when  the  meet  is  arranged  so  as  to  enable  one 
to  return  to  London  before  one  o'clock. 

"  I  remember  eleven  years  since,  when  Captain 
Conningham  kept  the  Surrey  stag-hounds,  leaving 
London  at  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  on  a  hack  to 
meet  these  hounds  at  Walton  Heath.  This  deer  was 
enlarged  at  three  o'clock,  and  afforded  a  capital  run  of 
two  hours  and  a  half;  Captain  Conningham,  who  was 
in  the  11th  (Lord  Cardigan's  regiment),  then  quartered 
at  Hounslow,  being  obliged  to  appear  on  parade  in  the 
morning,  these  hounds  frequently  met  as  late  as  one, 
two,  or  three  o'clock.  The  Dublin  Garrison  stag-hounds, 
for  the  same  reason,  never  meet  earlier  than  one 
o'clock.  I  have,  however,  never  heard  of  any  com- 
plaint made  by  the  gentlemen  who  hunt  with  that  pack 
of  the  day  being  too  short  to  test  the  powers  of 
endurance  of  their  gallant  steeds.  At  the  pace  these 
hounds  go  (be  it  remembered  they  are  never  stopped 
when  once  laid  on,  as  in  this  country),  forty-five 
minutes  are  enough  to  satisfy  most  men  and  horses  also. 
The  officers  are  also  in  the  habit  of  larking  to  the  meet ; 
on  some  occasions  I  have  heard  of  them  running  a  drag 
about  eight  miles  in  forty-five  minutes,  over  the  strong 
country  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Dublin. 

"  With  the  exception  of  Yorkshire  and  Devonshire, 
there  is  no  county  in  England  where  so  many  packs  are 
kennelled  as  in  Hampshire,  which  is  a  singular 
coincidence,  inasmuch  as  its  area  is  perhaps  rather  less 
than  the  average,  and  it  is  not  celebrated  as  a  crack 
country,  there  being  but  little  grass,  and  the  hill 
country  lieing  very  adverse  to  scent.  There  are,  how- 
ever, many  staunch  fox  preserves,  as  well  as  good 
sportsmen.  At  the  present  time  there  are  nine  packs 
which  hunt  in  this  county;  viz.,  Mr.  Assheton  Smith, 
of  Tidworth,  who  also  hunts  part  of  Wilts ;  the  Vine ; 
the  H.H. ;  the  Hambledon ;  the  Hursley ;  the  New 
Forest ;  Mr.  Wheble's,  and  Mr.  Garth's,  between  whom 
the  late  Sir  John  Cope's  country  is  divided  ;  they  also 
hunt  part  of  Berks ;  and  the  Isle  of  Wight  fox-hounds. 
Colonel  George  Wyndham  used  also  to  hunt  part  of 
Hampshire,  having  one  or  two  meets  in  Woolmer 
Forest,  although  this  country  has  not  been  hunted  for 


HUNTING  FROM    LONDON  223 

some  seasons,  and  I  understand  is  claimed  by  the  H.H. 
and  the  Hambledon  Hunts  also.  The  South-western 
Railway  affords  great  facilities  for  hunting  with  either 
of  the  above  packs  in  Hampshire,  as  nearly  all  the 
meets  of  the  H.  H.  can  be  reached  from  Alton  (a 
branch  of  this  line),  or  from  Winchfield,  Basingstoke, 
or  on  Tuesdays  from  the  Winchester  stations,  by  the 
train  which  leaves  the  Waterloo  station  at  seven 
o'clock.  Mr.  Garth's  and  Mr.  Wheble's  hounds  may 
generally  be  reached  from  the  Maidenhead,  Twyford, 
Reading,  Mortimer,  Farnborough,  Winchfield,  or 
Basingstoke  stations.  The  Vine  from  Basingstoke  or 
the  Andover  Road  stations'.  Mr.  Assheton  Smith's, 
about  three  days  in  a  fortnight  from  the  Andover  Road 
station  at  Clatford  Oak-cuts,  Longstock,  Hurstbourne 
Tarrant,  etc. 

■■'  The  Hursley,  from  the  Winchester  station,  two 
days  in  the  week,  Mondays  and  Fridays.  The 
Hambledon  generally  two  days'  a  week,  from 
Winchester  or  Bishopstoke.  The  New  Forest  oc- 
casionally at  certain  periods  adjoining  the  South- 
ampton and  Dorchester  line,  which  passes  through  the 
forest,  or  by  the  Southampton  and  Salisbury  line,  at 
the  Chandlers  Ford  or  Romsey  stations. 

"  The  system  of  issuing  hunting  tickets  at  a  lower 
rate  than  season  tickets  for  a  period  of  six  months,  has 
been  of  great  advantage  to  fox-hunters  residing  in 
London.  On  the  North-western  line,  tickets  were  given 
to  Leighton,  Tring  and  Aylesbury,  for  £10  for  the 
season ;  and  I  understand  this  privilege  is  to  be 
extended  next  season  to  Blisworth,  Weedon  and  Rugby. 

"  On  the  Great  Western  line  may  be  reached,  from 
Slough  and  Maidenhead,  the  Queen's  Stag-hounds,  and 
from  Farringdon  Road  and  Didcot,  Mr.  Morrell's  and 
the  Old  Berkshire;  from  Newbury  and  Hungerford, 
the  Craven ;  from  Swindon  and  Cricklade,  the  Vale  of 
White  Horse;  also  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's,  near 
Chippenham,  whose  meets  principally  lie  near  the 
Gloster  line  of  rail ;  many  of  these  meets  may  be 
reached  from  London  by  the  early  trains  in  the 
morning. 

"  On  the  Brighton  line,  the  Old  Surrey  at  Croydon, 
Reigate  and  from  Dorking,  on  the  South  Eastern.  The 
Crawley  and  the  Horsham  on  the  Brighton  line,  from 
the  Three  Bridges  station.  The  Surrey  Union  likewise, 
from  Guildford  to  Ash,  on  the  line  to  Farnham. 


224  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

"  On  the  Direct  Northern  line,  within  twenty  miles 
of  London,  the  Puckeridge ;  also  Mr.  Henley  Greaves', 
late  Mr.  Coriyers' ;  further  down  the  line  Lord  Fitz- 
william's. 

Yours,  &c., 


"  London,  June,   1853. 

"Dear  Sir, 

"  You  have  often  asked  me  why  I  keep  my 
horses  in  London  during  the  winter.  To  explain  this, 
I  must  give  you  a  sketch  of  my  hunting  career. 

"In  my  twenty-eighth  year  I  found  myself  obliged  to 
live  in  London.  My  property  was  very  moderate.  I 
had  no  occupation ;  and  having  but  little  taste  for 
literary  pursuits,  I  had  great  difficulty  in  employing 
my  time.  In  this  position,  although  I  was  altogether 
ignorant  of  riding,  I  purchased  a  horse  and  amused  my- 
self for  some  months  riding  in  the  Parks.  This  I  tired 
of  in  the  winter,  and  thought  if  I  knew  the  meets  of 
some  private  pack  of  hounds  my  horse  would  carry  me. 
I  very  soon  found  among  my  acquaintances  a  gentle- 
man who  rode  in  Surrey.  It  happened  that  the 
following  week  the  fox-hounds  met  at  Locks  Bottom ; 
and  my  friend  very  kindly  made  arrangements  that  my 
horse  should  be  taken  to  Bromley  to  sleep ;  and  the 
liveryman  at  whose  stable  my  horse  stood  found  me  a 
pony  to  get  to  Bromley  on  in  the  morning.  The 
following  morning  I  therefore  made  my  first  appear- 
ance at  the  covert  side.  I  was  rather  late,  owing  to  my 
horse,  just  before  leaving  the  high  road,  selecting  the 
dirtiest  part  to  make  a  false  step  and  throw  me.  For- 
tunately we  were  neither  of  us  hurt  ;  but  I  was  very 
dirty,  and  in  this  plight  I  presented  myself  at  the  meet, 
where  my  friend  was  waiting  alone,  the  hounds  having 
been  thrown  into  covert  close  by. 

"  Surrey  has  long  maintained  its  character  for  sure 
and  quick  finds ;  and  this  was  no  exception,  for  in  ten 
minutes  hounds  and  horses  were  away,  and  I  found  my- 
self in  a  ploughed  field,  galloping  as  fast  as  my  horse 
could.  I  got  through  a  gate  into  a  second  field ;  but 
here  I  was  pounded.  I  was  quite  ignorant  of  putting 
my  horse  at  a  fence ;  and  he  seemed  equally  so  of 
jumping  one.  After  some  time  a  gentleman  returned 
with,    '  Well,    it's   all   over.     We  have   had  a  capital 


HUNTING  FROM    LONDON  225 

run,'  &c.  &c.  I  could  make  no  reply,  but  jogged  back 
to  the  inn,  jumped  on  my  pony,  and  reached  home  in 
very  good  time  for  dinner. 

"  My  first  day  convinced  me  that  riding  to  hounds 
was  a  sport  I  should  like,  but  that  I  had  a  very  great 
deal  to  learn;  and  when  I  next  met  my  friend  he 
kindly  told  me  '  it  was  very  necessary  that  either  the 
rider  or  horse  should  understand  his  business;  that  if 
both  were  ignorant,  nothing  but  difficulties  would  assail 
us;  whereas  a  little  knowledge  on  either  side  would 
quickly  improve  both.' 

"  I  took  the  hint  at  once ;  and  before  the  next  day 
was  over,  '  Osborn,'  of  Gray's  Inn,  supplied  me  with  as 
good  a  little  horse  as  ever  went  across  country.  He  was 
not  very  fast ;  but  nothing  could  get  him  down  :  and  to 
this  animal's  cleverness  I  attribute  the  nerve  I  have 
since  ridden  with.  To  tell  you  the  falls  I  got,  although 
my  horse  never  came  down,  would  occupy  a  volume  : 
but  I  persevered,  from  the  absurd  belief  that  a  seat 
across  country  was  only  to  be  gained  by  this  method ; 
whereas  I  am  now  convinced  that  a  man  at  any  age 
may  learn  to  ride  to  hounds  by  taking  lessons  of  a 
hunting  riding-master,  and  thus  save  himself  the  bruises 
and  hurts  he  must  otherwise  encounter. 

*'  I  placed  my  hunter  in  a  livery-stable  in  Surrey, 
where  80  tolOO  horses  always  stood.  I  rode  three  days 
a  fortnight  to  fox-hounds.  The  gentlemen  in  the  field, 
without  an  exception,  showed  me  the  greatest  kindness ; 
and  hunting,  I  soon  decided,  was  the  finest  sport  I  had 
ever  enjoyed.  At  the  end  of  the  season  my  horse  was 
rested ;  and  during  the  summer  I  purchased  a  second 
hunter,  which,  when  in  condition,  fully  bore  out  the 
character  given  with  him. 

"The  commencement  of  this  season  found  me  pos- 
sessed of  two  hunters.  My  London  hack  I  had  broken 
to  harness ;  and  he  took  me  down  on  hunting-mornings 
to  the  stable  where  my  horses  stood.  I  hunted  in  this 
countr\'  for  two  years ;  and,  with  the  exception  of  a 
severe  cut  from  a  flint,  which  laid  one  of  my  horses 
up  for  some  time,  I  rode  regularly  to  hounds  three 
times  a  week. 

"I    now    went,    'just    for    one    day,'    to    see    the 

*  Queen's,'  at  that  time  under  the  management  of  Lord 

Kinnaird ;  and  having  a  capital  run  in  the  grass  country 

induced  me  at  once  to  move  my  horses  to  Hayes,  where 

p 


226  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

a  person  was  recommended  to  me  to  take  charge  of 
them  with  others  belonging  to  gentlemen  who  regularly 
rode  to  the  stag-hounds. 

"  I  rode  regularly  with  these  hounds  and  went  with 
them  into  the  Vale  of  Aylesbury  for  their,  at  that  time, 
annual  week's  hunting.  This  country  I  found  so 
superior  that  although  I  hunted  through  the  season 
with  the  Queen's,  I  longed  often  for  the  large  pastures 
which  the  Vale  presented.  The  next  summer  I  en- 
deavoured to  make  arrangements ;  but  there  being  at 
that  time  no  hunting  livery-stables  in  the  Vale,  I 
looked  about  for  a  groom  who  thoroughly  understood 
his  business.  I  succeeded,  as  I  thought,  in  this ;  and 
engaged  a  middle-aged  man.  He  was  married ;  but  his 
wife  and  family  were  to  be  left  in  London,  and  he  was 
to  travel  the  country  with  me. 

"  Early  in  November  my  servant  left  London  with 
three  hunters.  The  horses  were,  I  think,  as  good  as 
any  that  I  have  ever  been  possessed  of;  but,  arising, 
as  I  now  believe,  entirely  from  my  servant's  ignorance, 
nothing  but  misfortune  attended  me.  Within  a  fort- 
night my  best  horse  was  reported  blind,  my  young 
mare  would  not  eat,  and  the  other,  going  wrong,  I  had 
changed  for  one  altogether  out  of  condition ;  and  the 
twenty-eighth  day  from  my  leaving  London  found  my 
servant  back  again.  I  had,  during  that  short  time,  in 
fact,  knocked  up  five  horses ;  and  prudence  prevented 
me  continuing  a  career  so  ruinous. 

"  I  considered  this  as  a  run  of  ill  luck  that  will 
attend  all  at  times,  and,  to  make  the  best  of  it,  kept 
only  two  young  mares,  and  towards  the  end  of  the 
season  had  a  few  days  with  the  Queen's  hounds.  My 
groom  was  the  last  to  whom  I  thought  I  could  attribute 
blame.  He  induced  me  to  change  my  horses  often ;  my 
tradesmen  were  blamed  or  changed  by  him  with  every 
appearance  of  consulting  only  my  interest. 

'*I  now  purchased  a  fine,  powerful,  well-bred  horse — 
my  servant  could  not  even  find  fault  with  him — and  as 
I  had  now  three  sound  young  horses  I  anticipated  a 
more  successful  season.  To  each  condition-balls  were 
given  freely ;  and  day  by  day,  as  the  month  of  October 
passed,  I  had  reason  to  be  better  pleased  with  the 
account  given  me  of  their  progress.  This  state  of 
things  was  not  to  last  long;  for  on  going  one  morning 
to  the  stable  my  favourite  mare  'was  all  wrong;'  and 


HUNTING  FROM    LONDON  227 

on  the  vet.  seeing  her,  he  proclaimed  the  beast  to  be 
suffering  from  enlargement  of  the  heart,  persuaded  me 
to  allow  her  to  be  moved  to  his  stable,  where  she  was 
cupped  and  physicked.  She  was  then  reported  as  unfit 
for  ever  hunting  again;  and  I  was  recommended  to 
part  with  her.  That  very  night  I  had  a  communica- 
tion from  a  customer  of  the  vefs ;  and  the  next  morning 
a  bargain  was  struck  between  us ;  he  taking  the  mare, 
sick  as  she  then  was,  having  first  contracted  with  the 
doctor  to  get  her  well  for  a  stated  sum. 

"  My  misfortunes  did  not  end  here.  My  new  horse 
was  reported  to  me  as  refusing  his  food;  and,  as  my 
groom  now  announced,  'He's  no  use  to  us;'  and  so  here 
again  I  was  forced  to  change.  It,  however,  happened 
that  a  friend  wanted  an  animal,  admired  mine,  heard 
my  story  of  his  non-feeding  propensity,  asked  my 
price,  and  took  him  off  my  hands. 

"Three  days  after  I  met  my  friend;  asked,  of  course, 
how  the  horse  fed.  *  Why,'  said  he,  'I  particularly 
noticed  him.  The  first  day  he  came  to  me  he  ate  five 
feeds,  and  looked  round  for  more.  I  rode  him  forty 
miles  this  morning;  and  the  last  mile  he  was  as  fresh 
as  the  first.  I  never  possessed  an  animal  of  such  en- 
durance,' &c.  &c.  This  was  quite  enough.  I  now  for 
the  first  time  questioned  the  honesty  of  my  groom.  He 
excused  himself  by  hinting  the  horse  might  have  been 
ill  from  change  of  stable  or  water,  or  something  else 
that  an  artful  man  has  ready  on  similar  emergencies. 

'*  A  second  year  I  trusted  him  in  the  country,  but 
within  three  weeks  he  returned  home,  three  or  four 
horses  being  knocked  up.  I  now,  therefore,  attributed 
all  my  misfortune  to  bad  stable-management.  I  now 
found  it  necessary  to  pay  myself  some  attention  to  this, 
and  gained  on  every  occasion  all  the  information  I 
could.  My  groom  and  I  soon  parted.  I  only  pos- 
sessed one  mare  when  he  left :  her  I  sent  at  once  to 
livery  hunting  stables.  When  she  arrived  there,  in 
spite  of  all  the  condition-balls  that  had  been  forced 
down  her  throat,  she  was  not  fit  to  go.  She,  however, 
daily  improved  and  carried  me  one  day  a  week  to  stag- 
hounds  through  that  season,  and  finished  quite  fresh 
enough  to  hack  through  the  summer.  I  engaged  a 
young  man  as  groom,  who  only  professed  to  strap  to  a 
horse  and  turn  him  out  clean.  I  ordered  every  thing 
in  the  stable,  and  discarded  physic  and  messing  of  all 
kinds. 


228  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

"  The  following  autumn  I  dreaded  a  repetition  of  the 
ill  luck  of  the  two  preceding  winters,  and  therefore 
determined  to  keep  my  horses  at  home,  and  try  what 
hunting  I  could  meet  with,  travelling  them  by  rail.  I 
soon  found  from  London  the  railways  offer  great  facil- 
ities. The  Eastern  Counties  gives  me  the  command  of 
Essex  ;  the  Brighton  line  takes  me  into  Surrey  ;  the 
Great  Western  always  puts  me  within  distance  of  the 
Quorn's,  and  very  frequently  the  old  Berkshire ;  while 
the  North  Western  commands  Lord  Lonsdale's  country, 
Baron  Rothschild's,  the  best  meets  of  Lord  Southamp- 
ton, very  frequently  Lord  Dacre's,  and  occasionally  the 
Oakley. 

"  I  find  my  railway  expenses- — a  day  ticket  for  my 
horse  and  first  class  return  for  myself — for  thirty  miles, 
from  £l  Is.  to  £1  5s. ;  for  forty  miles,  from  £1  7s.  to 
£1  10s.  I  scarcely  ever  exceed  this  distance,  for  a 
man  must  be  a  glutton  if  he  is  dissatisfied  with  this 
range. 

"  The  only  caution  I  take  in  travelling  my  horse  is 
having  a  good  suit  of  clothes  for  him  to  travel  m.  My 
groom  walks  him  to  the  railway  in  the  morning,  and 
knows  the  hours  of  my  probable  arrival  in  the  evening; 
he  is  always  waiting  there,  and  takes  my  horse  home, 
where  every  attention  is  paid  to  him.  In  the  country  I 
find  a  servant  superfluous ;  the  ostler  of  the  inns  I  stop 
at  will  get  the  horse  comfortable  under  my  direction. 

"  I  do  not  mean  to  state  for  a  moment  but  that  a 
horse  would  be  saved  fatigue  if  he  was  as  well  attended 
to  in  the  country  as  when  he  reaches  home ;  but  I  can- 
not depend  on  this,  and  therefore  I  am  convinced 
my  personal  inspection  of  the  stable  more  than  com- 
pensates for  the  additional  fatigue  the  horse  undergoes ; 
added  to  this,  if  an  accident  happens  I  have  him  at 
home,  and  as  we  generally  have  a  frost  of  a  month  or  so 
it  is  then  to  me  a  source  of  very  great  pleasure  to  go 
when  I  please  into  my  stable. 

"  It  is  now  many  years  that  I  have  made  the  railways 
my  covert  hackneys.  I  am  never  so  much  behind  time 
that  the  hounds  are  away  on  my  reaching  the  meet, 
and  I  find  my  horses  carry  me  as  safely  as  those  always 
standing  in  country  quarters. 

"  After  hunting  I  consider  some  little  care  necessary\ 
I  make  it  a  rule  to  see  my  horse  have  a  bucket  of  gruel, 
and  the  top  dirt  rubbed  off  before  his  clothing  is  put 


HUNTING  FROM    LONDON  229 

on.  I  am  also  particular  in  not  allowing  the  animal  to 
stand  about  while  a  railway  carriage  is  turned  to  the 
siding  to  load  him.  This  I  get  arranged  before  the 
horse  leaves  the  stable ;  and  to  these  little  precautions 
I  attribute  the  good  luck  that  has  always  attended  my 
horses  travelling. 

*'And  having  now  told  my  sto]l*y,  I  trust  you  will 
not  again  attempt  to  argue  against  my  plan;  but,  if 
you  feel  inclined  to  have  an  occasional  day  from 
London,  I  shall  be  delighted  to  meet  you  at  the  railway 
station,  and  assist  in  superintending  your  travelling 
arrangements. 

Ever  yours, 


Both  these  letters  are  so  thoroughly  explanatory^  of 
the  means  which  a  sportsman  residing  in  London  may 
avail  himself  of  to  enjoy  his  hunting,  that  any 
additions  from  me  would  be  superfluous.  I  must,  how- 
ever, introduce  a  few  words  on  the  effect  which 
travelling  by  rail  produces  on  the  condition  of  horses, 
and  the  treatment  which  they  require.  In  the  case  of 
a  horse  being  conveyed  by  rail  to  the  vicinity  of  the 
place  of  meeting  on  the  morning  of  hunting,  it  entails 
the  necessity  of  his  being  disturbed  at  an  early  hour 
to  go  through  the  regular  process  of  dressing  and 
feeding.  On  returning,  if  the  distance  from  London 
exceeds  fifty  miles,  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  reach  the 
terminus  before  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  unless  a 
fox  is  found  and  affords  a  run  early  in  the  day,  or  that 
the  day's  sport  is  abbreviated  by  leaving  before  the 
hounds  have  finished  drawing,  a  mortification  which 
few  persons  would  inflict  upon  themselves,  having 
incurred  the  expense  and  trouble  of  a  journey  to  enjoy 
a  full  day's  sport. 

When  time  will  permit,  it  is  very  desirable  to  have  a 
horse  thoroughly  dressed  at  the  stables  connected  with 
the  railway  station  prior  to  his  being  placed  on  the 
line ;  and  by  all  means  his  legs  and  feet  should  be 
washed,  and  afterwards  bandaged.  To  perform  all 
this,  I  think  it  is  almost  imperative  to  take  a  servant 


230  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

down.  In  my  experience  of  ostlers  at  inns,  I  never 
found  many  of  them  of  much  use  in  dressing  dirty 
hunters ;  not,  perhaps,  in  all  cases  from  a  disinclination 
to  work,  because  an  extra  quart  of  beer  will  always 
excite  that  energy,  but  because  they  do  not  know  how 
to  set  about  it,  and  very  frequently,  when  assisting  my 
own  servants,  and  consequently  acting  under  their 
directions,  I  have  noticed  that  many  ostlers  are  more 
in  the  way  than  otherwise. 

On  the  subject  of  gruel  I  must  also  make  a  remark, 
that  it  should  on  all  occasions  be  boiled,  whether  it  be 
made  of  wheat-flour  or  oatmeal ;  the  former  of  which  I 
prefer.  When  made  in  the  manner  very  commonly 
practised — that  is,  some  oatmeal  stirred  up  with  a 
small  quantity  of  cold  water,  to  which  boiling  water  is 
added,  and  cold  water  again  supplied  to  make  it  of  the 
required  temperature — it  contains  no  virtue  whatever; 
in  fact,  will  sometimes  produce  cholic.  It  is  the 
mucilage  formed  by  boiling  in  which  the  balsamic  and 
nutritive  properties  are  contained ;  and  that  mucilage 
must  be  produced  before  the  substance  is  given  to  the 
horse ;  in  other  words,  he  cannot  concoct  it  in  his 
stomach.  Many  of  my  friends  have  argued  this  point 
with  me,  assuming  if  the  horse  takes  a  pint  of  oatmeal, 
which,  being  divested  of  the  husks,  may  be  considered 
equivalent  in  amount  of  nourishment  to  a  quart  of 
oats,  and  that  pint  of  oatmeal  is  infused  in  water,  he 
will  derive  the  same  benefit  he  would  from  a  quart  of 
oats,  which  is  by  no  means  the  case.  When  a  horse 
eats  a  quart  of  oats  he  masticates  them ;  they  pass  into 
the  stomach  in  the  ordinary  way,  through  the  agency  of 
those  functions  which  are  provided  by  nature  for  con- 
veying food  to  that  receptacle,  and,  finally,  by  the 
digestive  organs,  they  assist  in  the  nourishment  of  the 
body.  But  oatmeal  infused  in  tepid  water  is  vastly 
different  in  its  quality.  In  that  liquid  state  it  contains 
very  little  nourishment,  and,  quickly  passing  into  the 
intestines,  is  carried  off  like  undigested  food.  Similar 
remarks  apply  to  bran  mashes. 


RAILWAY   ACCOMMODATION  231 

There  are  several  objects  attained  by  having  horses 
thoroughly  dressed  before  they  are  put  mto  the  railway 
boxes.  Much  of  the  risk  of  taking  cold  is  diminished. 
The  dirt  and  perspiration,  clogging  up  the  pores  of  the 
skin,  must  have  an  injurious  effect  upon  the  coat  and 
consequently  the  system  generally  if  suffered  to  remain 
when  the  horses  are  not  in  action;  and,  if  last  not  least, 
the  great  saving  of  time  when  they  arrive  at  their  home 
stables,  where,  very  little  being  requisite  in  the  way  of 
dressing,  two  active  men  will  be  able  to  perform  every- 
thing that  is  necessary  and  have  a  horse  shut  up  in  half 
an  hour.  Rest  to  a  tired  hunter  is  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance ;  humanity  demands  for  him  the  most 
scrupulous  attention,  and  interest  goes  hand  in  hand. 
Horses  can  come  out  again  so  much  sooner  if  they  are 
carefully  managed  in  this  respect  than  if  they  are  dis- 
turbed till  a  late  hour  in  the  evening  and  uselessly  har- 
assed on  the  following  day. 

Knowing  the  injurious  effects  which  are  produced  by 
long  railway  journeys  on  the  day  of  hunting,  if  I  were 
to  hunt  from  London  I  should  adopt  one  of  the  two 
following  plans  :  I  would  either  keep  my  horses  in  the 
country,  or  confine  myself  to  hunting  within  five-and- 
thirty  miles  of  town,  so  that  I  might  generally  have  my 
horse  in  his  own  stable  by  six  o'clock.  There  is,  how- 
ever, an  objection  to  this,  for  there  is  very  little  good 
country  within  that  distance.  Duly  considering  all 
things,  I  should  certainly  prefer  keeping  my  horses  in 
the  country ;  for  although  the  difficulties  which  my  kind 
correspondent  enumerates  would  have  great  weight, 
still  there  are  many  things  which,  being  balanced 
against  each  other,  must  award  the  preference  to  that 
arrangement.  I  am  rather  at  a  loss  to  know  how  a 
horse  can  be  got  into  hunting  condition  in  London, 
where  there  are  none  but  hard  roads  to  exercise  upon. 
I  should  much  prefer  the  country  within  reach  of 
Bletchley,  Wolverton,  Blisworth,  or  Weedon,  on  the 
London  and  Birmingham  line,  to  that  of  Berkhamp- 
stead  or  Tring.    If  I  selected  the  Great  Western  line  as 


232  RECORDS    OF    THE   CHASE 

a  means  of  communication  with  sylvan  pastimes,  I 
should  choose  the  vicinity  of  Didcot,  Steventon, 
Farringdon,  Shrivenham,  Swindon,  or  even  as  far  as 
Chippenham,  to  that  around  Slough,  Twyford,  or 
Reading.  To  indulge  in  those  favouritisms,  it  would 
scarcely  ever  be  possible  to  regain  the  London  terminus 
before  8.  30.  p.m.,  an  hour  sadly  too  late  to  be  accom- 
panied by  a  hunter,  if  his  condition  is  regarded  with 
ordinary  attention. 

I  can  quite  enter  into  the  difficulty  of  finding  an 
efficient  servant  to  take  charge  of  two  or  three  hunters 
uncontrolled  by  his  master's  daily  inspection.  Two 
horses  are  quite  as  much  as  a  man  can  do  justice  to, 
having  to  go  to  covert  twice  or  thrice  in  the  week.  In 
a  general  way,  a  man  who  keeps  a  couple  of  hunters 
experiences  more  difficulty  in  meeting  with  a  good  ser- 
vant to  perform  the  duty  of  taking  charge  of  them  than 
he  does  in  filling  any  other  vocation  in  which  domestic 
servants  are  employed.  A  person  who  keeps  a  large 
stud  necessarily  employs  an  efficient  groom,  who  has 
authority  over  the  helpers  and  ought  to  have  sufficient 
experience  in  the  treatment  of  hunters  on  their  return 
from  the  chase  to  be  able  to  adopt  all  ordinary 
remedies  in  the  event  of  casual  accidents.  Such  men 
are  not  very  numerous  :  when  they  are  met  with  they 
require  high  wages  :  and,  moreover,  they  do  not  like  to 
work  single-handed,  in  which  they  are  correct,  for  a 
hunter  cannot  be  dressed,  when  he  returns  from  the 
field,  with  the  requisite  expedition  unless  two  men,  or 
a  man  and  boy,  be  employed.  In  small  establishments 
the  assistance  of  a  gardener  or  other  odd  man  may  he 
called  in  with  advantage. 

Gentlemen  who  hunt  from  London  must,  in  my 
humble  opinion,  find  it  most  convenient  and  econom- 
ical to  keep  their  horses  in  the  country ;  for  their  horses 
will  certainly  come  out  oftener  than  when  harassed  by 
frequent  journeys  on  the  rail.  Much,  I  am  ready  to 
admit,  depends  on  the  temper  of  the  animal ;  but  it  is 
the  great  length  of  time  he  must  be  on  his  legs  which 


RAILWAY   ACCOMMODATION  233 

appears  to  be  an  obstacle  not  to  be  overcome.  A  man 
experiences  very  little  fatigue  when  travelling  fifty  or 
sixty  miles  in  a  first-class  railway  carriage  :  he  may 
enjoy  his  repose  all  the  way,  if  so  inclined ;  and,  by 
taking  a  suit  of  clothes  to  exchange  for  those  in  which 
he  has  been  hunting — a  very  necessary  precaution — he 
is  perfectly  comfortable.  If  he  has  had  the  good  fortune 
to  see  a  good  day's  sport,  he  may  dream  of  it  over 
again  in  the  greatest  luxury  of  enjoyment. 

On  the  point  of  economy  much  is  gained  by  keeping 
the  horses  down  the  line.  The  expense  of  taking  a  horse 
dowii  and  returning  from  thirty  to  forty  miles,  including 
return-ticket,  gruel,  &c.,  will  average  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  shillings;  taking  it  at  seventeen  and  sixpence 
twice  a  week,  allowing  an  interval  of  three  or  four 
weeks'  frost,  it  may  be  computed  at  thirty  pounds  for 
the  season ;  half  that  sum  given  to  an  experienced 
trustworthy  groom,  as  additional  wages,  would 
ensure  the  services  of  a  man  who  may  be  de- 
pended upon.  If  two  or  more  friends  engage  stabling 
in  the  country  and  keep  their  horses  together,  one  head 
groom  will  take  charge  of  the  whole  establishment,  and 
with  a  number  of  helpers  in  proportion  to  the  number 
of  horses,  the  expenses  will  be  again  diminished.  This 
plan  has  been  adopted  by  some  of  my  acquaintance, 
and  it  has  worked  quite  satisfactorily.  There  are  also 
several  hunting  livery-stables  where  horses  are  taken 
great  care  of  and  where,  for  a  stated  sum,  everything 
is  provided,  including  a  man  to  take  them  to  covert.  I 
refrain  from  enumerating  any,  because  frequent 
changes  must  of  necessity  take  place  :  those  which  were 
in  the  highest  repute  last  season  may  be  superseded  by 
others;  and  it  is  ver>^  easy  for  any  sportsman,  after 
having  selected  the  countn^^  he  intends  to  hunt  in,  to 
make  local  inquiries  for  the  most  suitable  accommoda- 
tion. 

There  is  another  plan  which  I  would  suggest  avail- 
able to  those  who  desire  to  hunt  from  London,  pro- 
viding they  are   not  disposed  to   encumber  themselves 


234  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

with  studs  of  hunters.  Any  number  of  horses  may  be 
engaged  either  for  the  season,  for  a  month,  or  even  for 
a  day,  which  obviates  all  anxiety.  The  purveyor 
undertakes  to  provide  a  certain  number  of  horses  for  a 
stipulated  sum,  and  to  have  one  at  the  appointed  place 
of  meeting  when  required.  He  runs  all  risks  of 
accidents,  provides  servants,  and  exonerates  the  hirer 
from  all  trouble,  which,  to  those  who  have  other 
engagements,  is  often  of  considerable  importance.  If 
it  is  practicable  for  a  man  to  have  his  horse  frequently 
under  his  own  inspection  it  is  certainly  more  agreeable ; 
but,  as  that  is  generally  a  subject  of  some  difficulty  to 
a  gentleman  who  has  engagements  in  London,  the 
custom  of  hiring  hunters  may  be  adopted  with  success. 
Lend  me  thine  ear,  courteous  reader,  if  you  are  an 
inhabitant  of  the  great  metropolis,  and  I  will  whisper 
a  secret  to  you,  not  to  be  imparted  to  your  dearest 
friend.  Perad venture  you  would  delight  to  take  your 
pleasure  with  the  merry  harrier ;  to  see  the  hare  trailed 
up  to  her  form,  started  and  hunted  through  her 
intricate  mazes ;  to  compare  the  steady  close  working 
of  the  harrier  with  the  dashing  style  of  the  fox-hound. 
Whither  would  you  lead  me  ?  I  think  I  hear  you 
exclaim.  To  Brighton,  to  meet  the  far-famed  harriers 
of  that  marine  metropolis,  or  the  Brookside  ?  No ; 
within  five  miles  of  Oxford  Street,  at  the  rural  village 
of  Neasden,  you  will  find  a  most  superior,  well- 
appointed  pack  of  harriers,  admirably  hunted  by  Mr. 
Hall ;  and  although  they  do  not  advertise  their  ap- 
pointments, they  will  be  most  courteously  supplied  to 
any  gentleman  who  will  leave  his  card  with  Mr.  Hall. 
Within  ten  miles  of  the  General  Post  Office,  if  you 
choose  to  go  further  afield,  point  your  horse's  head  for 
Stratford,  proceed  through  Snaresbrook  to  Woodford, 
in  Essex,  and  there  you  will  meet  as  complete  a  little 
pack  as  your  most  fastidious  notions  of  rural  pastime 
can  devise.  They  hunt  twice  a  week — Tuesdays  and 
Saturdays.  As  I  am  credibly  informed,  they  are  con- 
ducted  on  the   most   quiet  and  gentlemanly  principles 


HARRIERS  235 

by  Mr.  Henry  Vigne;  and,  as  there  are  hares  to  be 
found  in  the  forest,  good  sport  is  generally  obtained 
with  them.  Should  the  chase  lead  you  further  from 
town  than  the  place  at  which  you  commenced  hunting, 
or  should  your  horse  be  tired,  the  Eastern  Counties 
Railway  will  enable  you  to  return  to  London. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


SCENT   AND    SEASONS 


There  are  few  subjects  of  greater  interest  to  the  sports- 
man, or  which  occasion  more  frequent  inquiries 
whether  it  is  hkely  to  prove  good  or  bad,  than  scent ; 
but  this  is  not  remarkable,  inasmuch  as  the  success 
of  the  day  is  subservient  to  its  condition.  The  difficult 
question  cannot  be  elucidated  till  the  wonderful  faculty 
of  the  hound  solves  the  mystery.  It  concerns  all 
classes :  fox-hunters,  hare-hunters,  stag-hunters,  and 
those  who,  with  their  pointers  and  double  barrels, 
range  the  fields  in  pursuit  of  the  feathered  denizens  of 
stubbles  and  turnips.  Although  the  practised  savant 
evades  an  absolute  reply  with  caution,  still  will  he  en- 
deavour indirectly  to  draw  forth  an  opinion,  his  day's 
enjoyment  being  so  immediately  connected  with  the 
phenomenon. 

There  are  many  causes  which  have  a  tendency  to 
affect  the  scent.  The  atmosphere  is  universally  ad- 
mitted as  the  principal  agent;  but  we  must  go  further 
into  the  inquiry  and  examine  to  what  extent  and  under 
what  circumstances  the  atmosphere  affects  the  evapor- 
ative and  absorbent  properties  of  the  earth;  and  al- 
though it  is  impossible  to  control  the  elements,  some 
conclusions  may  be  drawn  how  under  certain  circum- 
stances a  day's  sport  is  most  likely  to  be  obtained. 

Somerville,  with  his  wonted  talent,  makes  a  few  re- 
marks on  the  subject,  and  comes  to  this  conclusion : 

"  Thus   on   the   air 
Depend  the  hunter's  hopes." 

This  must  not,  however,  be  taken  in  an  abstract  sense ; 


INDICATIONS    OF    SCENT  237 

which  I  will  endeavour  to  demonstrate  by  pointing  out 
how  the  atmosphere  in  connection  with  other  causes 
affects  '  the  hunter's  hopes.' 

The  nature  of  the  soil,  in  combination  with  the  state 
of  the  atmosphere,  is  a  means  whereby  the  scent  is 
influenced,  for  it  is  the  effect  produced  under  those 
circumstances  occasioning  evaporation  or  absorption 
which  to  a  great  degree  regulates  the  amount  of  scent. 
Acting  differently  on  arable  and  grass  lands,  variations 
are  recognised;  and  extending  this  principle  to  the 
vales  and  the  hills,  similar  properties  are  brought  into 
action.  When  the  evaporation  from  the  earth  is  in  a 
very  active  state  there  is  seldom,  if  ever,  any  scent; 
this  is  obvious,  because  the  evaporation  dispels  the 
particles  of  scent  as  they  ascend,  above  the  line  where 
the  hound  can  wind  them ;  and  it  follows  evidently  that 
on  such  days  the  most  favourable  places  for  hunting 
are  those  which  are  the  least  susceptible  of  the  influ- 
ences. It  often  happens  when  riding  to  covert  that  a 
countryman  is  passing  along  the  road  smoking  his 
pipe,  and  I  have  invariably  remarked  that  if  I  could 
wind  *  the  baccy  '  pretty  strongly,  there  has  been  a 
good  scent,  and  the  reverse  if  it  is  scarcely  perceptible. 

This  last  incident  is  conclusive  proof  that  the  aroma 
ascends  to  a  moderate  height  through  the  medium  of 
the  atmosphere.  The  steam  from  a  railway  engine 
affords  also  a  strong  indication.  That  will  sometimes 
be  seen  to  rise  perpendicularly,  at  other  times  it 
floats,  as  it  were,  in  the  air,  and  occasionally  it 
descends  immediately,  apparently  traversing  the  earth 
in  a  dense  cloud.  In  both  the  first  and  the  last  cases 
there  is  scarcely  any  scent;  but  in  the  second  case  it 
may  be  recognised  as  a  favourable  criterion.  A  frosty 
air  has  a  powerful  effect  on  scent,  during  which,  in 
shaded  situations,  it  will  frequently  be  good,  whereas 
in  those  situations  where  the  sun  has  power  there  will 
be  none  at  all. 

Evaporation  is  more  active  on  arable  land  than  on 
grass,  and  every  tyro  knows  which  holds  the  best  scent. 


238  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

On  arable  land  in  the  highest  state  of  cultivation,  or 
rather  pulverisation,  evaporation  is  more  extensive 
than  on  soils  of  a  retentive  nature,  and  from  that  cause 
heavy  clays  are  more  favourable  than  the  light  loamy 
and  sandy  districts.  Land  which  has  been  recently 
ploughed  is  also  more  subservient  to  evaporative 
influences  than  that  which  has  remained  dormant  for 
some  time.  The  general  condition  of  the  atmosphere 
may  be  nearly  similar  over  a  considerable  tract  of 
country,  while  the  principles  of  evaporation  may  vary 
in  certain  localities  from  the  reasons  already  suggested. 
And  this  is  not  unusual,  because  we  know  that  it  often 
rains  at  one  place  while  it  is  quite  fine  at  another. 

Scent  generally  fails  on  roads ;  but  that  is  not  an 
invariable  rule,  for  sometimes  it  will  be  better  there 
than  in  some  other  place;  foxes,  however,  do  not 
usually  frequent  such  lines,  except  for  short  intervals. 
It  will  sometimes  happen  that  there  is  an  excellent 
scent  on  dry  fallows,  even  when  the  dust  is  flying, 
which  most  sportsmen  will  acknowledge  who  have 
hunted  with  Earl  Fitzhardinge's  hounds  in  their 
Cheltenham  country,  during  the  spring  of  the  year. 
When  the  scent  is  good  there,  it  is  seldom  so  in  the 
Berkeley  Vale,  and  vice  versa.  The  latter  is  all  grass ; 
the  former,  especially  on  the  Cotswold  Hills,  is  prin- 
cipally arable.  On  the  light  sandy  soils  in  the 
Albrighton  country  I  never  saw  or  heard  of  there  being 
a  good  scent  in  dry  weather.  The  nature  of  that  land 
is  essentially  different  from  that  on  Cotswold  Hills. 
Arable  land  which  has  been  drained  is  not  generally 
favourable  to  fox-hunting,  and,  as  I  apprehend,  it  is 
more  readily  acted  upon  by  the  elements  in  the 
quantity  of  evaporation  given  forth. 

It  is  a  generally  received  opinion  that  when  the 
country  is  overcharged  with  moisture  the  scent  will  not 
lie.  Beckford  entertained  that  notion,  although  I  must 
observe  that  many  of  his  remarks  on  this  point,  what- 
ever might  have  been  the  events  which  occasioned  them 
in  his  time,  are  overruled  by  modern  instances.       He 


BECKFORD    ON    SCENT  239 

says,  *'  Scent  scarcely  ever  lies  well  with  a  north  or  an 
east  wind;  a  southerly  wind  without  rain,  and  a 
westerly  wind  that  is  not  rough,  are  most  favourable." 
A  poet  who  gave  an  excellent  description  of  one  of  the 
best  runs  ever  seen  in  Leicestershire  commences  his 
narrative,  "  With  the  wind  at  north-east,  most  for- 
biddingly keen;"  and  subsequent  experience  attests 
the  truth  of  this  effusion,  for  it  generally  happens  that 
the  best-scenting  days  are  those  when  the  wind  has 
something  of  the  east  in  its  course. 

When  the  earth  is  perfectly  saturated  with  rain  scent 
has  been  known  to  lie  well.  Of  this  I  may  introduce 
as  an  example  the  season  of  1852  and  1853 ;  nevertheless 
I  do  not  take  it  to  be  a  general  consequence;  but  this 
adds  confirmation  to  the  opinion  that  it  is  the  evapora- 
tion which  regulates  the  amount  of  scent,  while  the 
force  of  evaporation  is  produced  by  the  condition  of 
the  air. 

It  may  be  observed  that  pure  water,  although  it 
weakens  a  scent  in  passing  through  it,  does  not  abso- 
lutely destroy  it.  This  may  be  determined  by  smoking 
tobacco  through  a  hookah,  which  renders  the  nicotian 
weed  milder  but  does  not  annihilate  the  perfume.  I 
have  seen  hounds  carry  a  scent  where  the  land  has 
been  flooded  three  inches  deep  or  more.  It  is  not  a 
common  case,  because  foxes  do  not  often  put  it  to  the 
test  by  selecting  such  ground ;  never,  in  fact,  unless  it 
intervenes  between  them  and  some  favourite  point. 
From  this  it  is  evident  that  the  scent  exudes  from  the 
body  of  the  animal  and  is  held  for  a  certain  time  sus- 
pended in  the  atmosphere.  It  is  also  quite  clear  in  those 
cases  that  very  little  evaporation  from  the  earth  is 
taking  place.  Under  some  circumstances  the  earth 
absorbs  moisture  from  the  air;  that  is  when  the  land  is 
dry  and  the  air  dense,  moist  and  heavy%  in  which  con- 
dition, I  believe,  the  scent  cannot  be  good. 

We  must,  therefore,  come  to  this  conclusion,  that 
when  the  evaporation  is  very  great,  or,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  absorption  of  moisture  by  the  earth  is  exten- 


240  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

sive,  the  scent  will  be  affected  in  the  ratio  of  either 
principle  prevailing.  In  healthy  districts,  although  the 
land  is  generally  of  a  light  sandy  nature,  the  scent  is 
usually  good,  most  probably  because  the  foxes  touching 
the  heath  leave  particles  of  their  perfume  on  the 
sprays.  The  same  cause  exists  in  coverts  where  there 
is  much  foggy  grass ;  but  just  after  the  leaves  have 
fallen  in  woodlands  the  scent  generally  fails,  as  I  take 
it,  in  consequence  of  the  leaves  checking  the  process  of 
evaporation.  Some  persons  attribute  this  to  the  wind 
blowing  the  leaves  about  and  consequently  shifting 
them ;  but  how  can  that  be  the  case  where  there  is  little 
or  no  wind  stirring  ? 

There  is  no  doubt  a  great  distinction  in  the  degrees 
of  scent  emitted  by  different  foxes,  and  also  by  the 
same  foxes  under  certain  influences  and  various 
circumstances.  The  bodily  health  of  the  animal  will 
occasion  this.  When  the  fox  ig  in  a  state  of  exhaustion, 
or,  as  the  term  is  known  to  sportsmen,  when  he  is 
sinking,  the  scent  usually  fails.  The  same  is  observable 
with  vixens  when  heavy  in  cub,  at  which  time  I  ap- 
prehend the  quality,  if  not  also  the  quantity,  of  scent 
is  altered.  The  pace  at  which  foxes  are  moving,  I 
make  no  doubt,  affects  the  scent  materially;  for  when 
they  are  just  creeping  along,  as  they  often  do,  in  covert 
out  of  sight,  hounds  will  sometimes  actually  run  over 
them. 

Somerville  notices  what  I  conceive  to  be  one  of  the 
elements  by  which  a  good  or  bad  scent  is  regulated — ■ 
namely  evaporation,  but  takes  no  notice  of  absorption ; 
he  expresses  himself  very  eloquently  on  the  manner  in 
which  the  scent  is  emitted  from  the  fox,  and  as  I  can- 
not find  language  equally  appropriate,  I  shall  quote  his 
words  : — 

"  The  blood  that  from  the  heart  incessant  rolls 
In  many  a  crimson  tide,  then  liere  and  there 
In  smaller  rills  disparted,  as  it  flows 
Propell'd,  the  serous  particles  evade 


SOMERVILLE    ON    SCENT  241 

Thro'  th'  open  pores,  and  with  the  ambient  air 
Entangling  mix.     As  fuming  vapours  rise, 
And  hang  upon  the  gently  purling  brook, 
There  by  th'  incumbent  atmosphere  compress'd, 
The  panting  chase  grows  warmer  as  he  flies, 
And  through  the  network  of  the  skin  perspires; 
Leaves  a  long-steaming  trail  behind,  which  by 
The  cooler  air  condens'd,   remains,   unless 
By  some  rude  storm  dispers'd,  or  rarefied 
By  the  meridian  sun's  intenser  heat. 
To  ev'ry  shrub  the  warm  effluvia  cling, 
Hang  on  the  grass,  impregnate  earth  and  skies." 

That  every  animal,  although  of  the  same  species, 
emits  a  different  scent  under  various  circumstances 
there  cannot  exist  a  doubt ;  otherwise  the  blood-hound 
could  not  hunt  the  deer  which  he  is  first  encouraged  to 
pursue  through  herds  of  the  same  kind.  Blood-hounds 
which  have  been  taught  to  trace  the  human  species  are 
unerring  in  their  object ;  and  applying  this  property 
more  diffusely  I  need  only  observe  that  common  curs, 
if  sagacious,  can  distinguish  the  course  their  masters 
have  taken,  even  through  crowded  cities.  Here  we  find 
an  additional  authority  in  Somerville,  who  describes  the 
method  adopted  on  the  borders  of  England  and  Scot- 
land in  olden  times  of  tracing  the  prowling  caitiffs  who 
made  free  with  other  people's  flocks  and  herds.  The 
blood-hound  having  been  led  to  the  spot  where  the 
depredation  was  committed,  he  continues  : — 

"His  busy  nose  the  steaming  vapour  snuffs 
Inquisitive,  nor  leaves  one  turf  untried. 
Till,  conscious  of  the  recent  stains,  his  heart 
Beats  quick;  his  snufiBing  nose,  his  active  tail, 
Attest  his  joy;  then  with  deep  op'ning  mouth. 
That  makes  the  welkin  tremble,  he  proclaims 
Th'  audacious  felon ;  foot  by  foot  he  marks 
His  winding  way,  while  all  the  list'ning  crowd 
Applaud  his  reas'nings.     O'er  the  wat'ry  ford, 
Q 


242  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

Dry  sandy  heaths,  and  stony  barren  hills, 

O'er  beaten  paths,  with  men  and  beasts  distain'd, 

Unerring  he  pursues;  till  at  the  cot 

Arrived,   and  seizing  by  his  guilty  throat 

The  caitiff  vile,  redeems  the  captive  prey  : 

So  exquisitely   delicate  his  sense!" 

There  are  also  circumstances  connected  with  finding 
which  will  have  some  influence  over  the  scent.  If  a  fox 
steals  away  from  covert  and  has  time  to  jog  leisurely 
along,  the  scent  is  generally  weak ;  but  if  he  waits  to  be 
found  and  takes  two  or  three  turns  round  the  covert 
just  to  circulate  his  blood  before  '  he  breaks  away,'  it 
is  much  more  in  favour  of  a  run.  There  are  many 
herbs  and  shrubs  which  are  inimical  to  scent,  especially 
the  wild  garUc,  spearmint,  and  other  strong-smelling 
plants.  Laurel,  I  am  confident,  produces  the  same 
effect ;  for  I  never  saw  hounds  run  into  pleasure- 
grounds  about  gentlemen's  houses  where  the  ordinary 
evergreens  are  cultivated,  that  the  scent  did  not  fail. 
The  foil  of  foot-people  is  more  injurious  than  is  gener- 
ally supposed,  and  much  more  so  than  that  of  horses, 
cattle,  or  sheep. 

The  line  of  country  which  a  fox  selects  with  reference 
to  the  point  from  whence  the  wind  blows,  has  a  decided 
effect  on  the  scent.  If  he  runs  up-wlnd,  as  every  sports- 
man is  aware,  the  hounds  are  generally  enabled  to 
follow  him  at  a  killing  pace ;  the  same  favourable  result 
usually  attends  a  side-wind ;  but  if  the  fox  runs  down- 
wind, unless  the  state  of  the  atmosphere  is  propitious, 
the  ability  of  the  hounds  to  follow  will  be  diminished. 
It  is  quite  clear,  however,  that  a  fox  emits  just  the 
same  amount  of  scent  in  either  case,  but  the  power  to 
catch  that  scent  is  materially  influenced  by  the  wind. 
Beckford  says,  "If  a  fox  should  run  up  the  wind  when 
first  found,  and  afterwards  turn,  he  will  seldom,  if  ever, 
turn  again."  But  this  is  not  the  fact,  or  perhaps,  foxes 
have  changed  their  propensities  since  that  gentleman 
came  to  this  conclusion.    Some  foxes  will  endeavour  to 


SCENT   AND    TEMPERATURE  243 

make  their  points  whether  up-wind  or  down.  In  the 
event  of  their  being  hard-pressed  when  running  up- 
wind, they  will  very  probably  turn  from  distress,  and 
finding  the  hounds  not  pursuing  them  with  equal 
vigour,  they  will  often  continue  the  latter  course  for 
some  distance,  and  very  often  recovering  their 
strength,  will  again  endeavour  to  make  their  first 
point.     There  is  no  rule  under  such  circumstances. 

\^Tien  we  fairly  consider  all  the  events  by  which  scent 
is  effected,  it  cannot  be  a  matter  of  surprise  that  it 
should  vary  so  materially.  It  is  possible  that  they  may 
all  combine  to  render  it  good  or  bad,  or  partially  so,  as 
certain  influences  prevail.  The  density  of  the  atmos- 
phere may  be  ascertained  by  consulting  the  barometer; 
that  being  on  the  ascendant  is  a  favourable  indication ; 
when  falling,  the  reverse ;  but  then  we  are  unable  to 
foresee  to  what  extent  it  may  affect  the  evaporation  or 
absorption  on  particular  descriptions  of  land.  More- 
over, we  cannot  tell  what  line  of  country  a  fox  may 
think  fit  to  select,  whether  his  course  will  be  up-wind 
or  down,  or  whether  he  be  one  of  those  animals  which 
carry  a  strong  perfume  about  them. 

Equality  of  temperature  is  an  event  which  very 
materially  affects  the  scent;  if  the  weather  throughout 
the  hunting  season  be  invariably  changing,  first-rate 
sport  cannot  be  obtained.  By  some  old  memorandums 
I  find  the  season  of  1830  and  1831  was  very  wet,  and 
afforded  an  average  amount  of  sport ;  the  succeeding  one 
was  rough  in  the  extreme,  much  rain  fell  at  the  com- 
mencement, followed  by  snow,  which  continued  till  late 
in  the  spring;  the  sport  of  that  winter  was  wretched. 
In  the  year  of  1833  and  1834  it  was  remarkably  mild 
and  open,  with  little  frost  till  February  and  March,  and 
from  the  succession  of  rains  it  was  a  severe  time  for 
the  horses.  The  following  winter  was  very  changeable ; 
it  was  dry  at  the  beginning,  sharp  frosts  set  in  about 
Christmas ;  and  we  had  much  sleet,  snow,  and  rain  in 
March.  Sport  was  uncertain,  some  packs  had  their 
share,  others  none  at  all.     In  1835  and  1836  the  scent 


244  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

was  good  till  Christmas,  at  which  time  we  had  frost 
and  snow  with  variable  temperature  till  March,  when 
it  was  dry  and  dusty,  and  scent  very  changeable.  My 
memorandums  from  that  date  till  1840  being  deficient, 
I  cannot  fill  up  the  interval  from  memory,  but  I  find 
that  season  was  generally  fair,  and  more  than  an 
average  of  sport  resulted  till  after  Christmas,  when  the 
weather  became  very  changeable,  and  sport  followed 
suit.  The  following  year  was  somewhat  similar. 
The  year  1843  was  ushered  in  with  a  remarkably 
fine  warm  and  bright  day,  and  the  weather  subsequently 
became  very  uncertain,  sometimes  frosty,  at  others  warm, 
and  I  shall  never  forget  the  heat  for  the  time  of  year 
on  the  20th  March,  when  Lord  Gifford's  hounds  found 
a  fox  in  Hayley  Wood  and  killed  him  in  Oakley  Wood, 
with  a  very  bad  scent ;  it  was  the  heat  that  enabled  the 
hounds  to  taste  their  fox.  The  scent  was  very  uncertain 
during  this  spring.  Subsequent  seasons  do  not  afford 
particular  instances  till  that  of  1845-46,  which  may  be 
characterised  as  a  dry  one.  There  was  very  little  frost; 
and  hounds  in  general  had  more  than  an  average  of 
runs.  The  year  1849-50  was  a  bad  season  generally; 
there  was  a  considerable  quantity  of  frost. 

It  is  a  general  opinion  if  the  scent  has  not  been  good 
and  a  frost  commences  that  it  will  improve  afterwards ; 
but  I  do  not  find  that  the  opinion  is  borne  out  by  facts. 
The  year  following  was  exceedingly  good,  while  that  of 
1851-2,  although  the  weather  was  very  open  and  ap- 
parently favourable  for  hunting,  was  decidedly  the 
worst-scenting  season  I  can  bear  in  remembrance — 
a  complaint  made  by  almost  every  master  of  hounds  in 
the  kingdom.  To  make  amends  for  that,  the  leist 
winter  was  perhaps  the  best  ever  known.  It  is  fairly 
entitled  to  the  superlative  degree  for  its  excellence  as 
the  preceding  one  was  for  its  deficiency.  Rain  fell 
early  in  October  and  continued  to  inundate  the  country 
to  an  unprecedented  degree. 

The  opinion  that  an  excessive  quantity  of  wet  is  un- 
favourable  to   scent   was    completely  confuted    by  the 


SCENT   AND   WEATHER  245 

results  of  the  season  1852-3.  Never  was  the  land  more 
completely  saturated  or  the  sport  throughout  the 
kingdom  more  generally  good. 

A  singular  fact  connected  with  this  season  is  worthy 
of  notice.  Although  an  abundance  of  sport  had  been 
shown,  far  exceeding  the  average,  with  nearly  every 
pack  of  fox-hounds  throughout  the  kingdom,  and  every 
country  had  been  unusually  deep  and  severe  for  horses, 
besides  that  the  assemblages  of  sportsmen  at  the 
covert-side  had  exceeded  those  of  any  preceding  year, 
yet  accidents  to  men  or  horses  were  very  rare.  Doubt- 
less there  were  some  fatal  to  the  equine  race  which 
have  not  gained  publicity ;  but  I  believe  none  of  serious 
consequence  happened  to  their  riders.  To  what  cause 
or  causes  this  good  fortune  may  be  attributed  I  am  not 
prepared  to  state;  probably  to  a  combination  of 
causes.  Mother  Earth  was  never  in  a  more  tender 
mood  to  receive  into  her  affectionate  embraces  her 
numerous  family  of  venatic  sons  ambitiously  wooing 
the  fates  in  the  enterprising  vicissitudes  of  the 
chase.  The  accomplishment  of  riding  is  more  generally 
practised  and  understood ;  for  it  usually  happens  that 
the  most  unsophisticated  'muffs  '  are  the  most  likely  to 
meet  with  accidents. 

There  is  another  circumstance  which  although  not 
exactly  connected  with  scent  is  very  intimately  con- 
nected with  the  sport,  that  is  riding  to  hounds.  In  the 
early  days  of  fox-hunting — that  is  in  the  time  of 
Meynell  and  Corbet — hard-riding,  jealous  m_en  were 
not  numerous,  since  which  they  have  increased  to  an 
extraordinary  degree.  How  many  foxes  have  escaped, 
how  many  good  runs  have  been  lost  from  this  cause 
alone  !  I  do  not  insert  these  remarks  with  a  view  to 
suppress  that  general  ardour  and  enthusiasm  which 
assist  in  making  fox-hunting  the  noblest  and  most 
distinguished  of  our  national  amusements ;  quite  the 
reverse.  My  motive  is  to  offer  such  hints  to  the  un- 
initiated that  they  may  be  able  to  gain  enviable  dis- 
tinction,  which  they   cannot   do  if  they   destroy  that 


246  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

sport  which  is  the  means  of  affording  opportunities  of 
accomplishing  the  object  of  their  ambition. 

In  the  fashionable  and  populous  countries,  where  two 
hundred  or  more  assemble  at  the  place  of  meeting, 
with  the  utmost  caution  such  numbers  cannot  fail  in 
some  cases  to  impede  the  operation  of  hounds  and 
huntsmen.  Where  the  coverts  are  extensive,  persons 
riding  about  in  all  directions  occasion  much  mischief; 
when  gorse  coverts  are  being  drawn  the  field  is  usually 
collected  to  one  point ;  but  then  when  the  fox  breaks 
away  what  a  rush  for  a  start !  This  is  a  critical 
moment;  before  the  hounds  have  settled  to  the  scent 
they  are  invariably  pressed  upon,  which,  added  to 
their  natural  excitement,  will  render  the  steadiest 
pack  hasty.  Hundreds  of  foxes  are  lost  by  this  in- 
cautious proceeding.  But  let  us  take  another  case ; 
when  the  fox  is  found  in  a  large  woodland,  he  attempts 
to  break  covert  and  is  headed  back ;  if,  however,  he 
does  go  away  and  hounds  are  doing  their  work  to  per- 
fection, ambitious  horsemen  press  cruelly  upon  them ; 
and  when  the  fox  makes  the  least  deviation  from  the 
line,  the  hounds  are  driven  off  the  scent.  So  few  men 
observe,  as  they  ought  to  do,  the  difference  between 
hounds  running  with  and  without  a  scent ;  in  other 
words,  how  far  they  bring  it. 

I  remember  a  circumstance  with  the  Atherstone 
hounds  some  years  since,  which  impressed  me  very 
strongly  with  the  difficulties  a  huntsman  has  to  con- 
tend against  where  there  is  a  very  large  attendance  of 
sportsmen.  They  drew  the  gorse  at  Combe,  which  was 
so  thick  in  the  bottom  that  although  there  was  a  fox 
in  it  they  could  not  induce  him  to  break  covert,  and 
the  hounds  were  taken  away  to  find  another,  when  the 
fox  left  his  quarters  and  was  viewed  away.  The 
hoimds  were  hallooed  back,  and  being  laid  on  the 
scent  ran  him  towards  the  railway,  where,  the  em- 
bankment being  high  the  horsemen  made  for  the  arches 
and,  as  it  happened,  there  were  two  at  a  distance  less 
than  a  mile  apart.       This  caused  many  to  speculate ; 


A   RUN   WITH  THE   ATHERSTONE        247 

some  went  to  the  right  and  others  to  the  left,  whilst  a 
portion  of  the  field  kept  with  the  hounds,  which  were 
pointing  about  midway  between  the  arches,  till  they 
arrived  close  to  the  railway,  when  they  turned  to  the 
right  on  land  already  foiled  by  the  horses ;  and  more- 
over, seeing  so  many  a-head,  they  (the  hounds)  kept 
on  without  ever  speaking  to  the  scent  some  distance. 
On  arriving  at  the  arch,  concluding  the  fox  had  gone 
through,  Thurlow  made  his  cast  under  it,  but  could 
not  hit  the  scent.  The  fact  was  the  fox  on  coming  to 
the  railroad  turned  and  ran  parallel  with  it  as  already 
mentioned ;  but  as  the  hounds  had  not  been  actually 
hunting  him  for  nearly  half  a  mile  it  was  impossible  to 
say  exactly  at  what  point  they  had  left  the  scent. 
Under  such  circumstances  there  was  nothing  to  guide 
the  huntsman  in  his  cast ;  his  only  alternative  was  to 
hold  his  hounds  forward,  still  bearing  to  the  right, 
when  at  length  he  hit  upon  his  fox  again ;  but  so  much 
time  had  been  lost  that  the  scent  failed  considerably, 
and  a  brilliant  burst  was  lost.  After  much  slow 
hunting  the  hounds  got  up  to  their  fox  and  killed  him ; 
yet  the  beauty  of  the  day's  sport  was  destroyed  by 
those  ambitious,  speculating  gentlemen,  who,  not  con- 
tent with  riding  fairly  to  the  hounds,  by  skirting  got 
before  them  in  a  most  provoking  manner.  A  skirting 
horseman  is  as  bad  as  a  skirting  hound,  and  both  ought 
to  be  drafted.  I  could  mention  many  other  instances 
of  a  similar  character,  although  none  more  decided ; 
and  this  is  quite  sufficient  to  point  out  the  mischief  oc- 
casioned by  such  inconsiderate  and  reckless  riding. 

A  sportsman  accustomed  to  a  provincial  country, 
where  hounds  enjoy  plenty  of  room  to  do  their  work  un- 
molested by  a  crowd  of  horsemen,  is  surprised  when  he 
visits  a  populous  hunt  to  see  the  huntsman  the  moment 
the  hounds  come  to  a  check  make  a  wide  cast,  and  that 
without  giving  the  hounds  time  to  make  theirs  ac- 
cording to  the  orthodox  rule  of  hunting ;  and  perchance 
our  provincial  friend  condemns  the  huntsman's  prac- 
tice; but  on  reflection  it  wUl  often  be  found  to  be  the 


248  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

only  alternative.  To  render  this  intelligible,  let  us 
suppose  a  fox  found  in  a  gorse  covert,  with  two  or 
three  hundred  ardent  spirits  jealous  of  distinction. 
The  fox  'breaks  away'  and  the  hounds  leave  the  covert 
in  a  body;  but  before  they  can  well  settle  to  the  scent 
they  are  pressed  upon ;  however,  in  a  few  minutes  they 
get  to  work,  and  are  scoring  along  at  a  merrj^  pace. 
Many  are  riding  the  line,  others  are  skirting,  that  is 
riding  to  a  point  which  they  conceive  the  fox  will  make 
for.  After  running  some  distance  the  fox  turns,  either 
from  being  blown  or  from  being  headed — perchance  to 
make  good  his  point ;  at  all  events  the  hounds  come  to 
a  check;  in  all  probability  they  have  over-run  the 
scent  and  have  been  driven  still  further  beyond  it  by 
the  horsemen;  if  the  huntsman  is  in  his  place  and  at- 
tentive to  what  is  passing  he  will  detect  the  contretemps 
and  make  his  cast  accordingly,  but  it  must  be  a  wide 
and  speculative  one. 

In  the  event  of  a  check,  provided  there  are  not  more 
than  some  twenty  horsemen,  the  most  judicious  plan  is 
to  leave  the  hounds  to  themselves  :  if  they  have  room 
to  work  they  will  make  their  own  cast,  and  if  they  have 
over-run  the  scent,  which  probably  they  may  have 
done,  they  know  how  far  they  brought  it;  they  will  re- 
turn to  the  spot  and  in  all  probability  recover  it ;  they 
have  time  to  feel  for  it,  and  their  instinct  guides  them. 
But  if  the  aforesaid  number  of  horsemen  be  multiplied 
by  ten,  it  is  quite  another  affair.  A  fox  will  seldom 
turn  back  in  the  face  of  such  a  phalanx ;  if  he  does  it 
in  an  open  country  he  is  nearly  certain  to  be  viewed ; 
but  he  may  have  been  headed  back  before  the  field  had 
arrived  at  the  particular  spot,  and  still  endeavour  to 
make  good  his  original  point ;  under  such  circumstances 
the  scent  has  been  ridden  over,  for  the  field  is  dispersed 
and  it  is  very  likely  the  flanks  both  right  and  left  ex- 
tend a  quarter  of  a  mile — often  wider — from  the  line 
the  hounds  have  been  running.  There  is  no  alternative 
in  such  cases  but  to  make  a  cast  at  once  beyond  where 
the  ground  has  been  foiled  by  the   horses;   and,  there- 


OVER-RIDING   HOUNDS  249 

fore,  it  must  be  wide.  To  attempt  to  pick  through 
them  would  be  a  hopeless  endeavour.  The  operations 
of  huntsmen  who  have  large  fields  to  contend  against 
are  obviously  more  perplexing  than  of  those  who  hunt 
hounds  in  provincial  countries,  where  there  are  but  a 
few  horsemen  out  and  most  if  not  all  of  them  sports- 
men. 

There  are  many  hard  riding  men  who  affect  to  know 
nothing  about  hounds  or  hunting,  who  regard  hounds 
simply  as  objects  to  ride  after ;  in  short,  they  think  it 
derogatory  to  be  supposed  to  understand  any  of  the 
details.  All  I  can  say  of  them  is  that  I  think  they 
lose  a  vast  deal  of  the  interest  which  is  to  be  derived 
from  the  chase — peradventure  some  of  them  are  better 
versed  in  the  mysteries  of  woodcraft  than  they  profess 
to  be.  There  are  also  a  vast  number  of  persons  who 
follow  hounds,  who  certainly  possess  very  superficial 
ideas  of  the  incidents  which  are  most  intimately  con- 
nected with  hunting,  and  yet  they  often  indulge  them- 
selves in  the  happy  delusion  that  they  are  perfect 
masters  of  the  art.  If  they  were  to  attempt  the  most 
trifling  performance  they  would  speedily  proclaim 
their  inefficiency.  Unfortunately,  though,  they  are  the 
most  prone  to  express  opinions  which  are  neither 
founded  on  experience  or  reality.  It  very  frequently 
happens  that  when  hounds  fail  to  show  sport  every 
reason  but  the  correct  one  is  raised  against  the  unlucky 
master  and  the  huntsman.  Some  will  exclaim  that  the 
huntsman  is  too  slow,  others  that  he  is  too  fast ;  others 
will  argue  that  the  hounds  are  too  high  bred,  or  too 
lusty,  or  too  light,  or  too  small  for  the  country,  or  too 
big;  when  in  most  cases  the  only  obstacle  is  want  of 
scent,  a  phenomenon  which  human  nature  cannot 
control. 

It  is  too  commonly  a  custom  to  express  opinions 
respecting  huntsmen;  but  it  is  a  subject  which  ought 
to  be  delicately  treated.  Their  bread  is  dependent 
upon  their  characters  and  proficiencies,  and  it  is  an 
unmanly  act  to  injure  the  reputation  of  another  from 


250  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

opinions  which,  after  all,  may  be  erroneous.  If  a  hunts- 
man misconducts  himself  he  is  clearly  open  to  censure ; 
but  a  remark  made  touching  a  man's  ability  to  show 
sport  is  quite  another  affair;  there  may  be  reasons 
which  superficial  observers  cannot  be  acquainted  with  : 
at  the  same  time  there  is  no  reason  why  a  hiuitsman 
or  any  other  person  should  forget  propriety  of  conduct. 
This,  however,  very  rarely  applies ;  in  fact  I  know  of 
only  one  man  of  the  present  day  to  whom  such  blame 
can  be  attached,  and  of  him  all  I  know  is  from  report ; 
yet  if  the  reports  be  true — which,  however,  I  do  not 
doubt — he  certainly  ought  not  to  be  brought  into  the 
field.  Uncourteous  behaviour  is  reprehensible  in  all 
classes,  in  none  more  than  in  a  huntsman.  Taking 
them  as  a  body  they  are  entitled  to  our  best  considera- 
tion ;  they  work  hard  in  their  calling ;  they  are  exposed 
to  many  risks  and  to  the  vicissitudes  of  the  weather 
to  afford  sport  for  those  who  can  choose  to  encounter 
similar  inconveniences. 

It  appears  to  be  a  matter  of  surprise  that  a  fund  or 
club  has  never  been  instituted  for  the  assistance  or 
support  of  well-conducted,  deserving  huntsmen  and 
whippers-in,  upon  a  similar  principle  with  the  Bentinck 
Testimonial  Fund.  It  is  true  that  when  a  servant  has 
been  any  length  of  time  in  the  employment  of  a  noble- 
man or  gentleman  of  wealth  he  sometimes  receives  a 
pension  from  his  master  when  age  and  infirmities 
render  him  incapable  of  continuing  the  performance  of 
his  duties ;  but  there  are  many  very  deserving  men  who 
are  not  so  well  provided  for.  It  might  be  urged, 
further,  that  the  establishment  of  such  a  fund  would 
operate  in  deterring  noblemen  and  gentlemen,  masters 
of  hounds,  from  exercising  their  liberality  in  behalf  of 
their  own  servants ;  but  if  such  an  argument  were  held 
good  it  would  apply  more  especially  with  regard  to 
jockeys.  There  are  very  few  of  respectability  or 
eminence  who  have  not  served  wealthy  patrons,  for 
whom  they  have  won  large  sums  of  money,  and  yet  in 


A   HUNTSMAN'S    FUND  251 

their  old  age  jockeys  have  been  sometimes  left  with 
scanty  means  of  existence. 

To  promote  so  good  a  purpose  surely  every  sports- 
man, every  man  who  enters  the  field  to  participate  in 
the  thrilling  pleasures  of  the  chase,  would  be  anxious  to 
contribute  and  secure  for  those  men  who  so  frequently 
risk  their  lives  and  limbs  in  the  service  of  fox-hunting 
a  comfortable  annuity  when  age,  accidents,  or  in- 
firmities render  them  incapable  of  '  active  service.' 
Englishmen  are  bountiful  to  excess  in  many  things, 
especially  when  a  combination  of  good  intentions  can 
be  displayed  and  the  subject  is  taken  up  by  persons  of 
influence  and  energy.  It  is  the  beginning  that  imposes 
the  difficulty;  that  overcome,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  the  fund  would  flourish  most  extensively. 


CHAPTER   XV 

HABITS     AND    CUSTOMS 

No  kingdom  enjoys  the  same  opportunities  of  partici- 
pating in  field  sports  as  merry  England ;  neither  is 
there  any  other  nation  where  the  same  social  inter- 
course sheds  its  genial  influence  through  all  classes. 
There  is  a  freemasonry  which  binds  all  who  engage  in 
the  delightful  excitements  of  the  chase  with  ties  para- 
mount to  those  of  any  other  amusement.  It  produces 
acquaintance,  promotes  friendship,  and  affords  a  topic 
of  highly  interesting  conversation.  While  it  establishes 
health  it  inures  the  rising  generation  to  activity  and 
disregard  for  danger.  The  inducements  to  enjoy  a 
country  life  are  possibly  in  some  measure  diminished 
by  the  facility  for  travelling  afforded  by  the  railways, 
but  still  fox-hunting  has  a  good  tendency  in  that 
respect.  Landlords  are  brought  into  communication 
with  their  tenants  to  the  manifest  advantage  of  the 
latter,  among  whom  considerable  sums  of  money  are 
circulated  through  various  channels  connected  with  the 
chase. 

If  the  landed  proprietor  were  to  be  deprived  of  his 
rural  amusements  and  attraction  to  his  country  seat  he 
would  naturally  seek  his  pastime  elsewhere.  By  the 
union  of  interests  everything  that  is  agreeable,  satis- 
factory, and  profitable  is  produced.  Hunting,  of  all 
other  amusements,  maintains  and  is  maintained  by 
that  union.  One  country  gentleman  may  be  fond  of 
shooting;  he  may  not  hunt,  but  yet  he  preserves  the 
foxes  for  those  who  do  ;  and  he  gains  by  that  act  of 
courtesy  a  vast  deal  more  social  pleasure,  and  the 
interchanges   of   friendship   produce   for  him  infinitely 


BRITISH   SPORT  253 

greater  satisfaction  than  a  few  brace  of  pheasants  could 
afford.  If  a  farmer  feels  annoyed  at  seeing  his  fields 
ridden  over,  he  remembers  the  fact  that  horses  and 
servants  are  maintained  upon  the  produce  of  his  land, 
and  therefore  its  value  is  considerably  enhanced. 

The  progress  of  civilisation  has  exercised  a  decided 
influence  on  the  affairs  of  woodcraft  in  an  equal  ratio 
with  other  pursuits,  and  thus  many  changes  have  been 
introduced.  Is  this  to  be  regarded  as  an  evil  omen  ?  I 
think  quite  the  reverse.  If  the  social  manners  and 
habits  of  Englishmen  had  alone  advanced  in  refine- 
ment, and  the  customs  connected  with  field  sports  had 
remained  stationary,  a  chasm  would  have  been  opened 
which  would  not  readily  be  closed.  Had  such  been  the 
case,  it  would  be  incompatible  for  a  man  of  cultivated 
mind  and  modern  education  to  enter  into  those  amuse- 
ments. If  the  spirits  were  not  congenial,  the  enjoy- 
ment would  be  curtailed.  Instead  of  the  union  which 
is  promoted  by  fox-hunting,  there  would  have  been  a 
division  in  society. 

The  auguries  of  a  few  prejudiced  persons  predicted 
that  the  changes  which  have  taken  place  would  occasion 
the  downfall  of  British  sports,  and  with  it  the  distinc- 
tion of  the  British  character — auguries  which  happily 
have  not  been  realised,  neither  is  there  any  cause  for 
apprehension.  At  no  period  did  the  chase  ever  stand 
so  highly  in  popular  estimation  as  at  present.  There 
may  be  some  individuals  who  would  exult  if  all  manly 
enjoyments  were  exterminated,  and  perhaps  others 
who  are  envious  of  everything  that  undergoes  a  change 
— much  more  so  if  it  is  an  improvement  on  ancient 
customs — who  have  for  several  years  uttered  grave 
warnings  that  fox-hunting  was  hastening  to  destruc- 
tion. Comparing  the  customs  of  past  and  present 
days,  which  have  been  enumerated  in  these  pages,  such 
a  construction  is  quite  at  variance  with  facts.  The 
irregularity  which  presided  over  the  arrangements  for 
hunting  certain  districts  must  have  entailed  consider- 
able inconvenience  and  annoyance,   literally  excluding 


254  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

many  from  participating  in  the  sport  during  a  great 
part  of  the  season  unless  they  moved  with  the  hounds 
from  place  to  place — an  event  entailing  great  expense. 
The  early  hour  for  the  commencement  of  operation* — 
daybreak — although  perfectly  congenial  with  the  social 
customs  of  our  grandfathers,  who  were  wont  to  dine  at 
one,  would  be  tantamount  to  exclusion  when  con- 
sulting the  popular  taste  and  habits  of  the  present 
period.  Intent  upon  the  destruction  of  the  vulpine  race 
as  our  forefathers  were — for  neither  Beckford  nor 
Somerville  utters  a  syllable  about  the  preservation  of 
foxes,  an  early  hour  was  in  some  respects  desirable. 
The  poet  says  : — 

*'  For  these  nocturnal  thieves,  huntsman,  prepare 
Thy   sharpest  vengeance.     Oh !   how  glorious   'tis 
To  right  th'  oppress'd,  and  bring  the  felon  vile 
To  just  disgrace!     Ere  yet  the  morning  peep. 
Or  stars  retire  from  the  first  blush  of  day. 
With  thy  far  echoing  voice  alarm  thy  pack 
And  rouse  thy  bold  compeers." 

There  were  many  of  the  most  zealous  advocates  and 
steady  supporters  of  the  chase  who  recognised  in 
steeple-chasing  an  attraction  which  would  seduce  the 
rising  generation  from  the  legitimate  amusement  of 
their  forefathers ;  nor  were  those  apprehensions  alto- 
gether groundless.  When  at  its  zenith  it  probably  had 
that  effect  to  a  certain  extent ;  but  the  ill-savoured  pro- 
ceedings which  have  pervaded  a  host  of  speculators  en- 
gaged in  questionable  performances  have  driven 
modern  sportsmen  possessed  of  either  wealth  or  reputa- 
tion away  from  the  arena.  As  an  inducement  to  enlist 
under  the  banner  of  steeple-chasing  distinction  betting 
was  a  powerful  auxiliary,  and  on  that  rock  the  argosy 
has  split.  Happily  the  hunting  field  has  never  been 
made  the  nucleus  for  betting  transactions ;  if  that  ever 
were  to  be  the  case  it  would  quickly  fall  from  its  high 
estate. 


STEEPLE-CHASING  255 

The  partisans  of  steeple-chasing — and  at  one  period 
they  were  numerous — urged  that  it  would  prove  bene- 
ficial to  hunting,  by  reason  of  the  encouragement  it 
offered  to  persons  to  breed  a  description  of  horses  par- 
ticularly adapted  to  the  field.  That,  however,  has 
turned  out  to  be  quite  a  mistaken  notion,  for  nine- 
tenths  of  the  steeple-chase  horses  are  worthless  as 
hunters.  But  without  enrolling  myself  among  the 
admirers  of  steeple-chasing  I  fancy  that  some  advan- 
tages may  have  arisen  from  it  by  the  example  of  good 
horsemanship.  It  must  be  acknowledged  that  the  style 
of  riding  of  the  present  day  is  far  superior  to  that  of 
1825.  Many  of  my  readers  will  probably  express  as- 
tonishment at  this  remark,  and  exclaim  that  the  taste 
for  steeple-chasing  causes  men  to  over-ride  hounds 
and  occasions  a  vast  deal  of  mischief.  Yet  here  let  me 
observe  that  a  man  may  be  a  very  superior  horseman 
and  yet  have  that  self-control  not  to  press  unfairly  upon 
hounds.  I  have  often  noticed  men  who  have  no  pre- 
tensions as  horsemen  creating  the  greatest  confusion ; 
and  perhaps  some  notion  of  their  own  incompetency 
added  to  a  little  rivalry,  or  jealousy,  or  some  equally 
insufficient  cause,  is  the  ostensible  motive.  Following  a 
huntsman  when  he  is  making  his  cast  is  a  pretty  certain 
indication  that  the  moment  the  hounds  get  upon  the 
scent  it  is  the  intention  of  the  person  who  perpetrates 
so  unsportmanlike  an  act  to  set  off  and  ride  before  they 
are  steadily  settled  to  their  work.  A  good  horseman, 
having  confidence  in  his  ability  to  secure  a  good  place, 
will  not  be  so  over  anxious. 

Where  there  was  one  good  horseman  thirty  years  ago 
there  are  twenty  now.  In  those  days  there  were  but 
few  who  had  the  slightest  idea  of  holding  their  horses 
together,  of  selecting  the  soundest  and  best  ground  to 
ride  over,  or  of  looking  forward  for  the  most  practicable 
part  of  the  fence ;  but  with  a  loose  rein,  sitting  on  the 
horse's  back  like  a  sack  of  grain,  you  would  see  the 
greater  portion  of  those  who  followed  hounds  pounding 
away,  as  long  as  the  hounds  kept  on  and  their  horses 


256  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

had  the  ability  to  go.  There  were  a  few  who  rode  well, 
and  some  of  them  are  still  going;  but  the  numbers  are 
limited  in  comparison  with  the  younger  men.  To 
maintain  a  good  place  with  hounds  with  the  least 
number  of  falls  is  more  the  order  of  the  day  than  it  was 
wont  to  be.  Tumbling  over  fences  is  not  altogether  a 
desirable  method  of  crossing  a  country ;  at  any  rate  it 
is  more  amusing  to  the  spectators  than  the  performers ; 
but  when  it  is  performed  it  should  be  done  artistically, 
for  there  is  much  art  in  falling,  in  order  to  avoid  acci- 
dents and  loss  of  time. 

But  it  must  not  be  inferred  that  any  man  shall  ride 
to  hounds  without  having  falls ;  such  a  doctrine  would 
be  absurd;  indeed,  if  security  could  be  effected  against 
such  risks  one  half  of  the  charms  of  hunting  would  be 
exterminated.  The  glorious  uncertainty  which  is  at- 
tendant upon  the  chase  as  well  as  racing  constitutes 
the  excitement,  the  essence  of  pleasure. 

Coming  to  the  conclusion  that  falls  are  inevitable,  it 
is  a  consideration  how  a  man  may  fall  most  advan- 
tageously. Peradventure  some  gentlemen  would  be  am- 
bitious to  fall  gracefully,  an  accomplishment  not 
readily  to  be  acquired ;  others  may  be  content  if  they 
can  acquire  the  habit  of  falling  safely,  no  doubt  the 
most  desirable;  and  in  this  there  is  as  much  difference 
in  men  as  there  is  in  their  style  of  riding.  Coolness  and 
activity  are  qualifications  with  which  all  are  not  en- 
dowed alike,  and  on  those  enviable  exertions  the 
safety  of  a  '  falling  hero  '  is  greatly  dependent.  When 
a  purl  is  inevitable,  the  great  object  is  to  get  clear  of 
the  horse  as  quickly  as  possible,  in  order  to  avoid  his 
rolling  over  his  rider  :  some  men  will  spin  out  of  the 
way  with  wonderful  alacrity,  get  on  their  legs,  catch 
their  horses  as  they  (the  horses)  are  in  the  act  of  rising, 
remount  and  start  again  as  if  nothing  had  happened ; 
while  others  come  down  to  the  ground  *  a  burster,'  and 
lie  there  as  if  they  were  killed,  yet  in  all  probability 
they  are  not  much  hurt.  Falls  are  no  disparagement 
to  men's  abilities  as  horsemen  unless  thev  be  of  a  cer- 


ON  FALLS  257 

tain  class,  who  are  readily  distinguished  by  their  awk- 
wardness, and  even  they  can  sometimes  turn  their  mis- 
adventure to  account  in  the  estimation  of  their  lady 
loves  when  they  meet  them  'on  parade'  at  Cheltenham 
or  Leamington.  I  remember  a  genius  of  this  kind 
falling  over  a  single  rail  about  two  feet  high,  and  riding 
about  afterwards  inquiring  of  every  person  with  whom 
he  had  the  slightest  speaking  acquaintance,  if  they  had 
seen  him  '  get  his  fall,'  anxious  to  impress  every  one 
with  the  fact.  Having  accomplished  that  purpose  he 
rode  off  to  Cheltenham  with  a  similar  intention,  al- 
though he  lived  five  or  six  miles  from  that  place. 
Some  people  make  themselves  strangely  ridiculous. 
With  men  possessing  any  pretensions  to  the  character 
of  horsemen  falls  are  regarded  as  indicating  a  sports- 
manlike determination  to  ride  to  hounds  at  all  risks ; 
and  falls  are  the  fortune  of  war. 

The  general  opinion  is  opposed  to  strong  timber  as 
being  the  most  prolific  of  danger,  especially  with  a 
horse  that  is  blown.  I  doubt  whether  blind  ditches  are 
not  more  objectionable.  A  horse  that  is  accustomed  to 
carpentry  knows  pretty  well  that  it  will  not  yield  and 
will  make  every  effort  to  rise,  whereas  more  care- 
lessness is  frequently  evinced  at  squire  traps. 

Unless  a  man  is  quick  in  getting  up  after  a  fall,  it  is 
obvious  that  it  would  be  better  to  have  gone  a  short 
distance  out  of  the  line  for  a  more  practicable  place. 
When  a  horse  gets  away  from  his  rider  in  a  run  it  may 
happen  that  they  do  not  enter  into  partnership  again 
till  the  fun  is  over;  and  it  is  not  a  dignified  position  or 
an  enviable  condition  for  an  ardent  gentleman  sports- 
man to  be  seen  making  his  way  across  the  fields  in  top 
boots,  entreating  every  person  who  passes  him  to  catch 
his  horse.  A  friend  of  mine  some  years  ago,  on  making 
his  debut  in  Warwickshire,  on  which  occasion  the 
hounds  had  a  verj'^  severe  run,  had  the  misfortune  to 
lose  his  horse  very  early  in  the  day  in  those  large  fields 
near  Woolford  Wood.  The  hounds  went  straight  away 
and  the  horse  after  them,  and  my  friend,  not  knowing 

R 


258  RECORDS    OF   THE   CHASE 

anything  of  the  country,  succeeded  in  reaching  Halford 
Bridge,  where  he  procured  a  conveyance  to  take  him 
to  Leamington,  leaving  his  horse  to  his  fate.  That 
however  was  fortuitous,  as  a  gentleman  residing  in  the 
country  kindly  had  him  taken  to  his  stable  and 
properly  attended  to  till  his  owner,  hearing  where  he 
was,  sent  for  him  on  the  following  day.  The  horse  had 
kept  up  with  the  hounds  throughout  the  run,  and  with 
the  exception  of  having  lost  three  shoes  was  none  the 
worse  for  his  single-handed  exploit. 

In  those  jolly  days  when  the  road  was  in  force  and 
sporting  travellers  enjoyed  their  journeys  on  the  box- 
seat  of  the  coaches,  when  an  appointment  to  one  which 
passed  through  a  good  country  was  a  favour  regarded 
as  a  little  fortune,  an  anecdote  was  wont  to  be  related 
of  a  man  who  had  been  working  over  some  middle 
ground  making  an  application  to  a  London  proprietor 
for  a  coach,  and  having  exhausted  all  his  rhetoric  in 
self-commendation  concluded  by  saying  he  had  driven 
many  years  and  had  never  had  his  coach  overturned. 
This,  which  he  thought  would  be  the  greatest  recom- 
mendation, afforded  the  coach  proprietor,  who  wished 
for  a  favourable  pretext,  an  opportunity  of  dismissing 
the  applicant  most  peremptorily.  "  Then  you  won't 
do  for  us,"  said  he  to  the  astonished  knight  of  the 
ribbons;  "our  coaches  are  constantly  being  over- 
turned, and  a  man  who  has  never  had  any  practice  will 
never  be  able  to  set  them  on  their  wheels  again." 

If  any  aspiring  young  sportsman,  having  passed  his 
novitiate  in  a  country  where  the  fences  are  light, 
priding  himself  on  the  paucity  of  falls  he  may  have  ex- 
perienced, should  visit  Northamptonshire  or  any  of  the 
other  strongly  fenced  countries,  he  will  find  himself 
precisely  in  the  same  dilemma  as  the  disappointed 
coachman ;  for  although  he  may  not  have  to  set  a  coach 
upon  her  wheels,  he  may  have  to  set  his  horse  upon  his 
legs ;  in  other  words,  to  release  him  from  a  ditch,  a  pro- 
cess which  is  often  easily  accomplished  by  a  means 
very   simple,    though    not   very    generally  resorted    to. 


DRESS  259 

When  a  horse  gets  into  a  ditch  upon  his  back  much 
difficulty  is  often  experienced  in  extricating  him. 
Countrymen  are  sought  for  to  assist,  and  sometimes  a 
team  of  horses  is  brought  into  requisition.  By  passing 
a  stirrup  leather  through  the  stirrup  iron  so  as  to  in- 
crease the  length  of  that  which  is  attached  to  the 
saddle,  and  procuring  assistance  to  pull  forward  at 
them  in  such  a  direction  that  the  girths  of  the  saddle 
will  assist  the  animal's  exertions,  while  another  person 
endeavours  to  raise  the  horse's  neck  and  shoulders,  the 
animal  may  generally  be  extricated  from  his  difficulty 
without  any  other  auxiliary,  unless  the  ditch  be  very 
deep  and  inaccessible. 

The  changes  which  have  taken  place  in  the  manners 
and  customs  of  sportsmen  have  had  a  corresponding  in- 
fluence on  dress,  and  it  is  rather  singular  that  the 
costume  of  the  present  day  is  very  similar  to  that  of 
the  commencement  of  the  present  century.  How  many 
of  the  old  school  have  expostulated  in  dolorous  cadence 
at  the  discontinuance  of  the  brown-topped  boot,  de- 
claring when  that  characteristic  appointment  went  out 
of  fashion  that  the  enthusiasm  of  fox-hunting  had  lost 
its  vitality.  They  must  be  highly  gratified  now  that 
the  subject  of  their  regret  is  reinstated  in  favour.  It 
would  be  difficult  to  explain  in  what  way  the  chase  has 
at  any  period  been  influenced  by  the  colour  of  a  boot- 
top.  At  the  present  period  the  tint  of  the  boot-top  is 
so  perfectly  subservient  to  the  taste  of  the  wearer  that 
no  man  shall  be  denounced  as  outri,  let  his  choice  of 
colour  be  what  it  may.  Dark  brown  approximating  to 
black,  with  every  shade  between  that  and  cream  colour 
to  pure  white,  have  each  their  supporters.  Other  tops 
are  seen  absolutely  blushing  at  the  valet's  eccentricity; 
while  some  turn  blue  at  the  confusion  of  shades  by 
which  they  are  surrounded. 

Peradventure  it  is  argued  that  much  attention  to 
dress  is  incompatible  with  the  ardor  venandi  which 
distinguishes  the  sportsman;  that  it  divides  the 
thoughts,  in  fact,  from  the  ostensible  object.       But  I 


260  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

would  inquire  were  not  our  grandsires  as  punctilious  in 
their  costumes  as  any  '  well  got-up  '  gentleman  of  the 
present  day  ?  Were  they  not  as  proud  of  their  quaint 
little  pig-tails  as  a  '  swell  '  of  '53  is  of  his  imperial,  and 
is  there  as  much  consistency  in  one  appendage  as  in 
the  other  ?  The  long-waisted,  long-skirted,  loose-made, 
straight-cut  single-breasted  coat,  with  a  black  velvet 
cap,  leather  breeches,  and  brown-topped  boots,  were  in 
vogue  fifty  years  ago.  There  is  very  little  difference 
in  the  present  fashion ;  none,  except  that  the  skirts  of 
the  coat  are  shortened.  They  were  certainly  not  cut 
with  so  much  regard  to  becoming  contour,  but  then 
they  were  generally  proportioned  by  some  rural  pro- 
fessor. A  journey  to  London  was  not  an  event  to  be 
accomplished  with  very  great  facility,  and  country 
gentlemen  were  contented  to  patronise  country  tailors. 
Not  that  there  are  many  of  the  metropolitan  artistes  of 
the  present  day,  highly  accomplished  as  they  are  in 
other  articles  of  dress,  who  can  turn  out  a  well-made 
hunting-coat.  They  are  so  apt  to  fall  into  an  extreme 
by  making  it  either  too  precise  or  too  slang-like  in  the 
cut;  and  of  all  things  on  earth  a  slang-looking  red  coat 
is  the  greatest  abomination.  I  never  could  get  a  hunting- 
coat  made  so  well  by  any  other  person  as  Gray  of  water- 
proof driving-cape  celebrity,  though  I  may  say  I  have 
seen  some  good  ones  turned  out  by  Poole  of  SavUle 
Row.  The  celebrated  purveyor  of  leathers  of  olden  times 
resided  at  Tarporley  in  Cheshire,  whose  name  was  White, 
and  in  his  day  there  was  no  one  equal  to  him ;  at  least 
so  my  old  friends  were  used  to  state ;  and  much  as  they 
are  worn  now,  there  are  but  few  who  turn  them  out 
scientifically.  Preston,  and  Hammond  of  London,  and 
Whiting  of  Bisley  in  Gloucestershire,  are  undeniable 
hands. 

Our  forefathers  were  contented  with  boots  of  homely 
manufacture,  and  the  village  professor,  no  doubt,  turned 
them  out  in  a  rough  and  ready  manner ;  nor  do  I  appre- 
hend the  London  makers  were  much  superior  till  Hoby, 
Bartley,    and   Bum    set   the    example   by   turning   out 


DRESS  261 

hunting-boots  neat  and  sporting-like.  The  long  black, 
amphibious-looking,  half-militar}^,  half-snipe-shooting, 
boots  may  be  convenient  to  itinerant  sportsmen,  but 
they  are  exceedingly  unbecoming. 

Although  we  have  returned  nearly  to  the  fashion  of 
the  year  1800,  the  changes  that  have  taken  place  since 
that  period  in  the  cut  and  fashion  of  a  sportsman's 
costume  are  conspicuous.  About  five-and-thirty  years 
ago  very  short-waisted  coats,  with  remarkably  narrow 
skirts,  were  worn;  the  bodies  and  sleeves  were  tight, 
and  most  miserable  garments  they  were;  literally  dress 
coats  worn  in  the  hunting-field.  The  narrow  skirts 
afforded  no  protection  to  the  thighs  from  wet  or  in- 
clement weather;  and  they  were  accompanied  by  white 
cords  equally  disagreeable.  The  top  of  the  boots  were 
very  short,  and  they  were  scoured  white  to  match  the 
cords ;  altogether  no  design  of  costume  could  be  more 
inconsistent,  and  yet  if  a  man  presumed  to  wear  any- 
thing not  quite  in  accordance  with  the  fashion  he  was 
looked  upon  as  a  most  uncouth  monster.  Leathers  and 
hunting-caps  were  quite  out  of  date  about  the  year  1825, 
and  if  any  gentleman  sportsman  had  presumed  to  make 
his  appearance  in  such  toggery,  his  nearest  friends 
would  have  exercised  their  charity  by  a  speedy  arrange- 
ment to  relieve  him  from  all  intellectual  responsibility. 
In  this  respect  as  in  many  others  we  have  arrived  at 
great  improvement.  Free  trade  and  freedom  of 
costume  go  hand  in  hand,  and  a  man  may  now  wear 
whatever  suits  his  fancy  without  incurring  the  risk  of 
being  cut  by  his  most  intimate  acquaintance  because 
the  cut  of  his  coat  happens  to  be  different  from  that  of 
other  persons. 

By  slow  degrees  these  inconsistencies  of  dress  were 
reformed  a  propos  of  time  about  the  period  when  the 
Reform  Bill  was  passed,  and  they  have  continued  to 
improve.  The  fashion  of  wearing  leathers  was  resusci- 
tated some  twenty  years  ago,  I  believe,  in  consequence 
of  the  stewards  of  Croxton  Park  ra-ces,  Lords  Wilton 
and  Forester  and  Mr.  Maxse,  appearing  in  them  on  the 


262  RECORDS   OF   THE   CHASE 

course.  Lord  Wilton  would  have  to  wear  them  as  a 
part  of  his  racing  costume ;  and  in  order  that  the  dress 
of  the  stewards  should  be  uniform,  his  lordship's 
colleagues  most  probably  adopted  the  same  encase- 
ments; after  which  they  found  favour  in  Leicestershire, 
and  the  fashion  naturally  spread  into  other  countries. 

To  attain  distinction  in  the  style  of  dress  suitable  for 
the  field  is  a  matter  of  some  difficulty.  There  are  many 
men  who  dress  well  for  the  ball-room,  the  promenade, 
or  for  ordinary  equestrian  exercise — who  have  exquisite 
taste  on  those  occasions,  but  who  do  not  evince  the  same 
propriety  in  the  hunting-field.  Patent-leather  boots 
and  satin  scarfs  are  not  calculated  to  withstand  the 
effects  of  ploughed  fields,  deep  muddy  lanes,  and  bull- 
finches ;  nevertheless  we  do  occasionally  see  such  per- 
petrations at  Cheltenham  and  Leamington.  Mr. 
Delme  Radcliffe,  with  good  taste,  eschews  black 
cravats  with  top-boots  under  any  circumstances  ;  and 
although  a  blue  bird's-eye  is  often  worn  by  the  most 
punctilious  in  dress,  it  certainly  does  not  carry  the  cor- 
rectness of  costume  which  appertains  to  the  white.  It 
is  in  proper  keeping  with  neatness  and  the  most 
scrupulous  attention  to  cleanliness. 

Any  one  fastidious  in  dress  of  the  present  day  is 
generally  recognised  in  a  coat  somewhat  of  the  fol- 
lowing description.  It  may  be  single  or  double- 
breasted,  made  of  a  good  strong  cloth,  cut  nearly 
straight,  with  the  corners  of  the  skirts  just  rounded 
off;  the  waist  made  to  come  down  nearly  to  the  cantle 
of  the  saddle,  to  afford  protection  to  the  back  from 
cold  and  wet;  the  collar  moderate  in  height,  and  made 
to  turn  up  in  the  event  of  rain ;  the  sleeves  large,  with 
inner  cuffs  of  elastic  fabric.  The  body  of  the  coat 
should  be  made  to  fit  loosely,  as  it  will  be  less  subject 
to  admit  rain;  at  the  same  time  if  it  is  extravagantly 
loose  it  will  be  very  cold.  Caps  are  unquestionably 
preferable  to  hats  for  many  reasons :  they  afford 
greater  protection  to  the  head  in  the  event  of  falls ; 
they  are  not  so  liable  to  come  off  either  from  the  effects 


SADDLES    AND   BRIDLES  263 

of  the  wind  or  coming  in  contact  with  branches  of  trees 
or  hedges. 

However  correctly  a  man  may  be  *  got  up  '  himself, 
unless  the  saddles  and  bridles  he  uses  are  *  in  concat- 
enation accordingly '  the  effect  will  be  lost — the  snob 
will  peep  out.  The  old-fashioned  saddles,  such  as  we 
see  in  paintings  of  horses  of  the  last  century,  although 
they  have  been  evidently  improved  upon  in  workman- 
ship were  quite  correct  in  form.  They  were  made 
straight  in  the  seat,  not  like  the  Huzzar-fashioned 
saddles  introduced  some  thirty  or  forty  years  since  and 
perseveringly  made  to  this  day  by  one  of  the  most 
eminent  saddlers  in  London.  The  importance  of  a 
good  saddle  will  be  properly  appreciated  by  any  man 
who  has  once  had  a  bad  one.  A  huge,  ill-contrived, 
spongy,  heavy,  Dutch-built  production  is  an  abomina- 
tion not  to  be  endured.  A  miller's  pad  is  preferable. 
The  old-fashioned  straight  seat  should  be  observed, 
very  low  in  the  cantle,  and  the  pommel  not  higher  than 
is  absolutely  necessary  to  clear  the  horse's  withers. 
The  skirts  of  a  saddle  should  be  cut  in  conformity  with 
the  make  of  the  rider's  thighs,  and  the  consequent 
position  of  his  legs.  A  man  who  with  short  thick 
thighs  sits  very  upright  in  his  seat  requires  the  skirts 
of  his  saddle  to  be  cut  straighter  than  one  who  is 
moulded  on  a  more  horseman-like  model,  with  thinner 
and  longer  thighs,  and  who  sits  with  his  legs  forward. 
The  thickness  of  the  padding  in  the  skirts  is  also  a 
subject  worthy  of  attention.  For  the  purpose  of 
affording  a  more  secure  purchase  for  the  knees  and  legs 
some  saddlers  make  them  very  thick,  which  is  certainly 
objectionable  :  by  extending  the  knees  so  far  apart  the 
power  of  the  clip  is  reduced,  or  at  any  rate  it  causes 
more  exertion  to  bring  it  into  effect.  In  passing  through 
coverts,  or  going  through  stiff  fences,  the  thickness  of 
the  stuffing  is  obviously  an  impediment.  The  ease  and 
comfort  of  the  rider  are  better  provided  for  with  a 
moderate  portion  of  stuffing,  and  the  skirts  cut  in  a 
position  suitable  to  his  seat. 


264  RECORDS    OF   THE    CHASE 

The  appendages  to  saddles  which  have  been  intro- 
duced of  late  years  are  by  no  means  sportsmanlike  or 
ornamental.  One  of  these  is  a  contrivance  for  a 
drinking  fiask,  made  in  the  fashion  of  a  horn-case ;  and 
a  horse  carrying  the  insignia  may  be  mistaken  for  that 
of  the  master  of  the  hounds  or  the  huntsman — an  affec- 
tation which  some  persons  may  be  silly  enough  to 
emulate.  Canteens  for  provisions,  emporiums  for 
cigars  and  spare  shoes,  are  occasionally  seen  suspended 
from  the  sides.  I  could  not  avoid  noticing  a  saddle 
which  I  saw  recently  with  all  these  fittings  at  Bath, 
made  by  Mr.  Hunt,  which  at  first  I  imagined  was 
destined  for  some  sporting  emigrant  about  to  proceed 
to  a  country  where  it  would  be  necessary  to  carry  a 
supply  equal  to  a  week's  consumption ;  but  on  inquiry 
I  found  that  was  not  the  case.  Mr.  Hunt  deserves  all 
praise  for  the  ingenuity  of  the  contrivances,  which  were 
extended  even  to  an  apparatus  for  lighting  cigars, 
quaintly  inserted  under  one  of  the  flaps,  and  which  in 
my  ignorance  I  mistook  for  some  mechanical  device. 

Assuredly  saddle-makers  in  the  country  have  im- 
proved exceedingly  within  the  last  ten  years  in  their 
manner  of  finishing  those  important  articles ;  and  a 
man  need  not  to  despair  of  obtaining  one  at  Bath, 
Worcester,  Cheltenham,  Shrewsbury,  Leamington,  and 
other  towns  :  but  if  he  desires  to  have  a  superior  one  he 
must  go  to  a  first-rate  London  house,  such  as  ^Vhippy's, 
Oldacre's,  or  Heaven's ;  for  be  it  remembered  most  of 
the  others  in  the  great  metropolis  are  only  on  an 
equality  with  the  country  makers. 

Forming  a  part  of  the  sportsman's  paraphernalia  a 
whip  is  not  the  most  insignificant  article.  Steeple- 
chasing  has  the  credit  of  having  introduced  into  the 
hunting-field  an  implement  similar  to  the  racing-whip, 
but  with  a  strong  hook  at  the  head.  The  crop  without 
the  thong  preceded  this ;  and  that,  in  all  probability, 
was  the  parent  of  the  steeple-chase  invention.  Even  a 
short  hooked  stick  was  in  vogue  at  one  period  with 
young    gentlemen    who   aspired   to    consequential    and 


WHIPS  265 

slang-like  notoriety.  A  neat,  light  whip,  with  rather 
a  short  thong,  is  the  most  consistent  in  the  hand  of  a 
sportsman.  It  may,  perhaps,  be  objected  that  as  a 
gentleman  who  is  a  mere  spectator  is  not  about  to  act 
the  part  of  a  whipper-in  the  thong  is  an  unnecessary 
and  useless  encumbrance  :  but  that  is  not  exactly  cor- 
rect; there  are  times  when  it  is  useful.  When  in  covert, 
for  example,  while  passing  along  a  ride  hounds  often 
come  suddenly  very  close  to  the  heels  of  the  horses, 
which  will  occasion  some  to  lash  out.  The  whip  being 
held  out,  with  the  thong  in  a  pendulous  state,  will  act 
as  a  caution  and  prevent  an  accident.  The  same  thing 
frequently  happens  in  a  road;  and  every  gentleman 
who  goes  out  to  enjoy  a  day's  sport  must  feel  ex- 
'cessively  annoyed  if  any  little  want  of  care  and  atten- 
tion on  his  part  should  be  the  cause  of  injurj'  to  a 
valuable  hound.  The  appointments  do  not  appear  to 
be  complete  unless  there  is  a  thong  to  the  whip ;  but 
the  application  of  it  to  the  hounds  by  a  stranger  would 
doubtless  be  an  act  of  the  most  egregious  impropriety. 
I  once  saw  an  individual  arrayed  in  pink — the  only 
insignia  of  the  sportsman  about  him,  I  must  observe — 
as  he  was  riding  through  a  covert  strike  a  hound  most 
vigorously  with  his  whip.  The  hound  was  industriously 
feeling  for  a  cold  scent ;  and  I  could  not  avoid  inquiring 
the  cause  of  such  an  indiscreet  assault.  The  reply  was 
that  he  wanted  to  send  the  hound  on  to  the  others ;  and 
yet  it  was  one  of  the  leading  hounds.  If  such  an  act 
had  been  perpetrated  in  the  presence  of  many  masters 
of  hounds  their  benedictions  would  not  have  been 
inaudible  or  their  expressions  restrained  to  the  mildest 
terms.  Certainly  persons  who  do  not  observe  more 
decorum  in  the  use  of  their  whips  would  do  well  to 
leave  the  thongs  at  home. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

SPORT  AND  CHARACTER 

The  general  character  of  the  English  sportsman  un- 
doubtedly never  stood  so  high,  if  it  be  fairly  investi- 
gated, as  it  does  at  the  present  period,  and  it  is  a 
gratifying  fact  that  their  numbers  are  daily  increasing. 
But  it  is  necessary  to  observe  the  distinction  between 
the  sportsman  and  the  sporting  man ;  one  is  the 
genuine,  the  other  the  assumed  condition.  Of  the 
latter  I  think  comparatively  their  numbers  are  on  the 
decrease.  In  these  remarks  I  must  be  understood  as 
confining  my  observations  within  the  circle  connected 
with  the  chase,  totally  exclusive  of  all  the  host  which 
has  sprung  up  on  the  speculative  fabric  of  the  turf. 

The  term  of  sportsman,  if  properly  interpreted, 
signifies  a  man  who  delights  in  the  legitimate  sports  of 
the  field,  whether  it  be  racing,  hunting,  shooting,  or 
fishing.  And  he  enjoys  the  sport  only  when  it  is  con- 
ducted according  to  fair  and  honourable  practices,  in 
which  with  becoming  spirit  he  can  participate.  In  this 
category  all  classes,  with  the  distinction  of  their 
respective  stations,  may  be  enrolled,  from  the  most 
affluent  peer  to  the  poorest  peasant.  If  either  were  to 
transgress  the  conventional  rules  of  sporting  he  would 
lose  caste,  as  the  poacher  does  who  snares  the  hares 
and  pheasants.  The  difference  between  the  sportsman 
and  the  sporting  man  is  very  clear  and  distinct ;  the 
former  is  replete  with  high  bearing,  hospitality, 
integrity  of  purpose,  manliness,  candour,  frankness,  a 


SPORTSMEN    AND   SPORTING  MEN        267 

zealous  desire  to  contribute  to  the  amusement,  hap- 
piness, and  welfare  of  all  his  fellow  beings ;  he  is 
generously  liberal,  and  his  purse  is  ever  open  according 
to  its  capacity  to  relieve  distress.  Zealously  devoted 
to  sport,  he  enters  into  it  con  amore,  watching  every 
event  with  interest ;  thus  he  derives  all  the  enjoyments 
the  pursuit  is  capable  of  affording.  The  sporting  man, 
on  the  other  hand,  is  quite  a  different  character.  He 
professes  to  be  fond  of  field  sports  because  he  imagines 
it  raises  him  in  the  estimation  of  his  unsophisticated 
companions,  and  he  fancies  he  deceives  others  into  the 
same  impressions.  The  most  interesting  occurrences  in 
the  chase  or  other  sporting  events  are  unheeded,  be- 
cause he  is  scarcely  able,  even  if  willing,  to  appreciate 
them.  He  may  or  he  may  not  be  a  hard-riding  man; 
but  if  he  is  his  presence  with  hounds  is  a  source  of  regret, 
because  he  never  fails  to  over-ride  them  when  he  has 
an  opportunity,  for  the  sake  of  distinction,  which  is  his 
greatest  idol.  The  manners  of  the  gentleman  are  innate 
in  the  sportsman,  though  assumed  by  the  sporting-man, 
who  mingles  some  little  inapplicable  technicalities  with 
slang — sure  indication  of  a  vulgar  mind. 

Refinement  has  made  its  way  to  the  covert  side  as 
well  as  into  the  more  polished  spheres  of  social  inter- 
course. Courtesy  and  decorum  are  as  necessary  in  the 
field  as  in  the  drawing-room,  and  the  same  observance 
of  etiquette  which  stamps  the  gentleman  in  one  situa- 
tion accompanies  him  in  the  other.  Rivalry  comes 
into  effect  principally  in  a  run,  and  is  very  inoffensive 
in  its  nature.  Some  ardent  spirits  are  ambitious  of  the 
lead,  while  others  are  perfectly  indifferent  who  may  be 
before  or  behind  them,  so  long  as  they  are  in  a  position 
to  see  the  hounds  perform  their  work.  Perchance  the 
latter  are  the  most  zealous  in  the  good  cause.  If  gentle- 
men would  not  ride  quite  so  close  to  hounds  and  to 
each  other  as  they  usually  do,  it  would  be  more  con- 
ducive to  sport  and  personal  convenience.  One  man 
may  come  in  contact  with  another  in  an  open  field,  no 
insult  or  annoyance  is  intended,  neither  is  any  injury 


268  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

sustained;  a  mutual  apology  ensues  and  sets  all  right. 
But  on  approaching  a  fence  it  is  a  different  affair.  In 
case  the  one  who  is  leading  happens  to  fall  and  another 
is  following  close  on  his  heels,  the  great  probability  is 
that  the  latter  cannot  stop  his  horse  in  time,  and,  there- 
fore, rides  over  his  companion.  This  is  an  unwarrant- 
able custom,  but  too  frequently  practised  in  the  fast 
and  fashionable  countries.  There  is  also  another  great 
evil  in  this  unworkman-like  style  of  riding.  Many 
horses  will  go  perfectly  safe,  cool,  and  collected  at  their 
fences  when  not  too  closely  pressed,  but  will  rush  at 
them  when  they  find  others  close  on  their  quarters ;  a 
similar  degree  of  excitement  prevails  with  many 
hunters  when  they  are  following  very  near  to  others. 
Attempting  to  go  up  and  take  the  lead  of  another  on 
approaching  a  fence  is  yet  more  unsportsman-like. 
Ambitious  gentlemen  who  desire  to  make  up  lost 
ground  had  far  better  take  another  line  by  riding  at  a 
fresh  place  than  by  following  others,  if  it  be  through  a 
gap. 

The  notion  that  fox-hunting  is  on  the  decline  is  quite 
at  variance  with  facts.  The  comparisons  which  I  have 
endeavoured  to  draw  with  accuracy  in  these  pages 
must  rebut  such  an  assertion.  Many  of  the  manners 
and  customs  of  the  chase  have  been  altered  to  suit  the 
tastes,  the  habits,  and  the  convenience  of  the  present 
generation;  but  those  changes  do  not  denote  decline. 
If  any  country  becomes  vacant  there  are  numerous 
candidates  for  the  honour  of  hunting  it ;  and  every 
season  the  numbers  who  assemble  at  the  covert  side 
are  on  the  increase.  It  is  an  argument  with  those  who 
are  jealous  of  all  changes  that  there  are  not  so  many 
who  go  out  from  a  pure  love  of  hunting  and  the  details 
connected  therewith  as  there  were  in  former  days.  At 
the  same  time  that  I  am  not  in  a  position  to  admit  that 
conclusion,  it  would  be  inadmissible  to  scrutinise  the 
motive  of  every  individual  who  comes  out  to  meet 
hounds.  Whether  a  man  derives  his  enjoyment  from 
admiring  a  fine  pack  of  hounds  in  first-rate  condition, 


SPORTSMEN  AND    SPORTING  MEN        269 

from  seeing  them  draw  for  and  find  their  fox  in  a  true 
sporting  style,  racing  and  hunting  their  game,  and 
finally  killing  in  the  most  perfect  manner,  assisted  by 
a  clever  huntsman;  or  whether  he  merely  comes  out  as 
an  almost  unobservant,  unobtrusive  addition  to  the 
group,  so  that  he  conducts  himself  with  propriety,  not 
in  any  way  interrupting  sport  or  doing  mischief  by 
heading  foxes  and  overriding  hounds,  he  ought  to  be, 
and  I  think  is,  invariably  welcomed  at  the  covert  side, 
even  if  he  merely  comes  there  to  show  himself ;  and  he 
ought  also  to  be  numbered  as  one  participating  in  and 
patronising  the  sports  of  the  field. 

There  are,  however,  many  excellent  sportsmen,  who 
may  be  easily  recognised  by  a  stranger,  attendant  upon 
all  the  popular  packs  of  the  day.  They  may  be  seen,  ere 
they  have  exchanged  the  horses  they  have  ridden  to 
covert    for   their   hunters,    scrutinising  the    pack,    and 
making  anxious  inquiries  of  the  huntsman  and  whips, 
by  whom  they  are  received  with  civility,  attention,  and 
respect ;  but  if  a  snob  approaches  he  is  greeted  with  a 
request  not  to  bring  his  horse  among  the  hounds,  lest  he 
should  kick  them.     At  the  same  time  a  great  number 
of  those  who  have  arrived  will  be  seen  in  groups  at  a 
distance    from   the    pack,    evidently   careless    and    pro- 
bably ignorant  of  the  condition  of  hounds,  and  appar- 
ently apprehensive  of  approaching  too  near.       Some- 
times   that     caution      arises      from      a      consciousness 
of    mischievous    riding    on    a   previous     day    and     the 
expectation  of  receiving  a  merited  remonstrance  from 
the  master  of  the  hounds.       Many  of  those  who  hunt 
constantly  do  not  care  one  jot  how  a  fox  is  found,  or 
how   the   pack   performs  the    duties ;    neither   do   they 
think  or  care  whether  a  gallop  is  the  effect  of  chance  or 
the  scientific  management  of  the  master  and  huntsman. 
They  may  only  go  out  to  ride,  or  perchance  from  a  less 
ostensible  motive — for  the  sake  of  saying  they  hunt ; 
but  still  the  numerical  force  proclaims  the  fact  that  as 
a    national   amusement    fox-hunting    is    held    in    the 
highest  estimation. 


270  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

A  distinction  may  be  drawn  between  a  taste  for  the 
science  of  fox-hunting  and  that  of  a  taste  merely  for 
hunting.  The  former  may  be  understood  as  combining 
a  knowledge  of  all  the  minutiae  connected  with  the 
chase,  such  as  breeding  hounds,  the  most  celebrated 
blood,  the  peculiar  propensities  of  certain  hounds,  con- 
dition, style  of  drawing  coverts,  finding,  pace,  hunting, 
steadiness,  stoutness,  and  all  the  good  or  bad  pro- 
perties for  which  hounds  are  distinguished.  To  be  con- 
versant with  these  a  man  must  be  a  true  lover  of 
hunting,  and  enjoy  opportunities  of  cultivating  his 
observations  to  an  extent  not  on  all  occasions  avail- 
able, or  compatible  with  other  engagements.  Yet  I 
must  make  the  remark  that  the  more  intimately  a  man 
is  acquainted  with  the  details  which  may  be  classed 
with  the  science  of  fox-hunting,  the  more  he  will  be 
gratified  with  that  popular  amusement.  A  man  may 
not  be  in  a  position  to  study  the  means  which  are 
adapted  to  bring  a  pack  of  hounds  to  the  covert  side  in 
that  state  of  perfection  which  is  essential  for  the  pur- 
pose of  showing  sport.  These  are  matters,  it  must  be 
admitted,  in  which  the  public  do  not  necessarily  bear 
a  part  in  the  accomplishment,  but  there  are  many  little 
items  connected  with  field  management  and  discipline 
which  are  not  only  essential  to  the  enjoyment  of  a 
day's  sport  but  an  acquaintance  with  which  is  neces- 
sary in  order  to  avoid  interruption  to  the  sport  of 
those  who  are  assembled.  Unless  a  man  devotes  his 
attention  to  the  hounds  when  they  are  drawing  for 
their  fox  he  loses  in  all  probability  the  first  act  in  the 
most  interesting  scene  of  the  day — the  find — and  when 
the  fox  is  on  his  legs,  without  paying  attention  to  the 
proceedings  of  the  pack  a  man  can  form  no  idea  in 
what  direction  the  fox  will  most  probably  break 
covert.  Neglecting  this,  he  may  probably  be  in  a 
situation  to  head  the  varmint  back  again,  for  which  he 
is  severely  remonstrated  with  by  the  master  of  the 
hounds ;  or  being  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  covert 
loses  the  start ;  either  of  which  events  produce  feelings 


INCIDENTS   IN  THE   FIELD  271 

of  mortification.  The  only  alternative  for  one  who  is  a 
novice  or  is  indifferent  to  the  very  interesting  events  so 
happily  blended  with  fox-hunting,  is  to  mingle  with 
the  crowd,  and  when  the  fox  breaks  covert  to  content 
himself  with  following  a  leader  or  leaders,  as  the  case 
may  be.  The  fox  having  got  clear  of  the  covert,  the 
hounds  having  settled  down  to  the  scent  and  being  seen 
scoring  away  at  a  racing  pace,  every  man  has  a  chance 
of  riding  and  exhibiting  his  prowess ;  but  here  it  is 
absolutely  necessary  he  should  pay  attention  to  passing 
events  if  he  has  obtained  the  enviable  position  of  show- 
ing himself  in  the  first  flight ;  just  having  done  so  some 
change  may  take  place ;  either  the  hounds  overrun  the 
scent  and  come  to  a  check,  or  gain  a  covert.  The  hero 
ambitious  of  riding  fame,  if  he  should  have  assisted  in 
pressing  the  hounds  beyond  the  line,  sustains  a  double 
mortification — firstly  from  the  censure  of  the  master  of 
the  hounds,  and  secondly  from  the  conviction  that  he 
has  not  only  defeated  his  own  purpose  and  interest  but 
also  interrupted  the  sport  of  his  companions  by  his  own 
inadvertence. 

Towards  the  conclusion  of  the  last,  and  about  the 
commencement  of  the  present,  century,  there  were 
very  few  regular  packs  of  hounds  kept  comparatively 
to  what  we  now  have.  Each  pack  ranged  over  a  great 
extent  of  country,  and  they  seldom  hunted  more  than 
three  days  in  the  week.  There  were,  no  doubt,  several 
scratch  packs,  or  trencher  packs  as  they  were  termed, 
which  were  kept  at  walks  throughout  the  winter,  used 
for  the  purpose  of  hunting  fox  or  hare ;  but  they  could 
not  come  under  the  denomination  of  regular  establish- 
ments, the  chief  of  which  consisted  of  the  Dukes  of 
Rutland  and  Beaufort's  ;  those  of  the  Earls  Yarborough, 
Berkeley,  Fitzwilliam,  Scarborough,  Spencer,  Stam- 
ford and  Warrington ;  Sir  R.  Pulestone ;  Messrs. 
Meynell,  Corbet,  Forester,  Warde,  Childe,  Lambton, 
Poyntz,  and  Heron.  If  we  add  to  these  about  half  a 
dozen  packs  of  minor  fame,  exclusive  of  the  trencher 
packs,  the  total  number  will  not  amount   to    twenty- 


272 


RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 


five.      At   the   present   date    (1854)   the   following  list 
exhibits  nearly  four  times  that  number — 


The  Albrighton 

The  Atherstone 

The  Bads  worth 

The  Duke  of  Beaufort's 

The  Bedale 

The  Belvoir 

The  Berkshire 

The  Blackmore  Vale 

The  Bramham  Moor 

The  Brocklesby 

The  Burton 

The  Cambridgeshire 

The  Cheshire 

The  Cleveland 

Mr.  Colyer's 

The  Craven 

The  Crawley  and  Horsham 

The  South  Devon 

The  South  Down 

Mr.  Drake's 

The  Durham  County 

Lord  Eleho's 

The  East  Essex 

The  Essex  and  Suffolk 

The  Essex  Union 

The  South  Essex 

Mr.  Farquh arson's 

Earl  Fitzhardinge's 

Earl  Fitzwilliam's 

The  Four  Barrow 

Mr.  Furze's 

Mr.  Garth's 

The  H.  H. 

Mr.  Henley  Greave's 

The  Hambledon 

The  Haydon 

The  Herefordshire 

The  Holderness 

The  Hursley 

The  Hurworth 

Mr.  Meynell  Ingram's 

Isle  of  Wight 

The  Kent 


The  Ludlow 

Mr.  Lumley's 

Mr.  Lushington's 

The  Monmouthshire 

Mr.  Morgan's 

Sir  Charles  Morgan's 

The  New  Forest 

Mr.  Newton's 

The  Oakley 

Mr.  Phillip's 

Mr.  Lort  Phillip's 

The  Puckeridge 

The  Pytchley 

The  Quorn 

The  Raby 

The  Rufford 

Mr.  Russell's 

Sir  H.  Seale's 

The  Shropshire 

The  Sinnington 

Mr.  T.  A.  Smith's 

The  West  Somerset 

Lord  Southampton's 

The  North  Staffordshire 

The  Suffolk 

The  Surrey  Union 

The  East  Sussex 

The  Tindale 

The  Tiverton 

Mr.  Trelawney's 

The  United  Pack 

The  Vale  of  White  Horse 

The  South  Wilts 

The  South  W^old 

The  North  Warwickshire 

The  W^arwickshire 

The  Wheatland 

Mr.  Wheble's 

Mr.   Willoughby's    (late    Sir    T. 

Sykes) 
The  Worcestershire 
The  Wye  Side 
Sir  W.  W.  Wynn's 


PACKS   OF   HOUNDS  273 

The  Ledbury  Col.  Wyndham's 

Lord  Lonsdale's  The  York  and  Ainsty 

Wales 

The  Begelly  Mr.  Powell's 

The  Carmarthenshire  The  Stone  Hall 

The  Cresselly  The  Teify  Side 
The  Goggerddan 

Three  of  these  packs  hunt  six  days  in  the  week,  three 
five  days,  about  two  or  three  and  twenty  four  days,  six 
or  seven  and  twenty  three  days,  and  the  remainder 
two,  some  of  them  occasionally  varying  according  to 
circumstances ;  but  the  average  may  be  laid  as  nearly 
as  possible  at  three  days  in  the  week.  Thus  we  have  to 
all  intents  and  purposes  four  times  as  much  hunting 
as  our  ancestors  enjoyed. 

Those  noblemen  and  gentlemen  whom  I  have  en- 
umerated as  masters  of  hounds  some  fifty  years  since 
maintained  their  establishments  entirely  at  their  own 
expense,  whereas  more  than  three-fourths  of  those  which 
are  now  at  work  are  kept  by  subscription,  and  there  are 
many  very  forcible  arguments  which  may  be  urged  in 
favour  of  that  custom.  There  are  but  few  noblemen  or 
gentlemen  so  overwhelmed  with  money  and  otherwise 
circumstanced  as  to  render  their  incurring  all  the  ex- 
penses a  matter  of  propriety,  even  if  they  were  so  dis- 
posed. Sons  and  heirs-at-law  may  not  think  it  fair  that 
the  expenses  of  a  sport  which  affords  health  and  amuse- 
ment to  thousands  should  fall  upon  the  shoulders  of  an 
individual  ancestor;  nor  would  it  be  any  consolation  to 
a  son  on  coming  into  possession  of  an  encumbered 
estate  to  know  that  the  difficulties  which  surround  him 
were  incurred  by  the  expenses  of  keeping  hounds  for  the 
amusement  of  the  county.  It  is  not  unfrequently  a 
very  difficult  task  to  meet  with  a  gentleman  duly 
qualified  to  take  the  management  of  a  pack  of  hounds. 
The  undertaking  involves  a  number  of  little  events  which 
are  never  dreamt  of  by  a  novice,  and  thus  so  many  give 


274  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

up  their  task  after  a  year  or  two's  probation.  A  man 
must  either  be  possessed  of  very  ample  funds  and  some 
zeal  for  the  good  cause,  or  a  vast  deal  of  zeal  backed  by 
a  liberal  subscription ;  and  considering  the  immense 
number  of  persons  who  are  daily  in  the  habit  of  meeting 
hounds  during  the  winter  season,  there  is  no  justifiable 
reason  why  subscriptions  should  not  be  liberal  in  the 
extreme.  Gentlemen  who  fairly  consider  the  matter, 
whether  they  live  in  London,  Cheltenham,  Leamington, 
or  any  other  place,  ought  to  bear  in  mind  the  heavy 
expenses  and  responsibilities  in  which  a  master  of 
hounds  involves  himself,  and  when  participating  m  the 
amusements  should  at  least  contribute  to  the  expenses. 

The  appointments  of  nearly  every  pack  of  hounds  are 
advertised.  It  is  a  notice,  or,  in  fact,  an  invitation  to 
join  them,  and  it  was  introduced  when  the  popularity 
of  fox-hunting  was  rising.  The  first  intimation  of  the 
kind  that  I  have  been  able  to  discover  was  about  forty 
years  ago,  when  the  publishers  of  newspapers  were  de- 
sirous to  charge  masters  of  hounds  for  the  insertion 
which  they  are  now  glad  to  give  as  an  essential  piece  of 
intelligence. 

It  is  a  question  which  I  have  frequently  heard  dis- 
cussed whether  the  slow  hoimds  of  ancient  days  did  not 
afford  more  sport  than  the  speedy  ones  of  the  present. 
Here  it  must  be  observed  that  the  speed  of  a  single 
hound  does  not  decide  the  speed  of  the  pack.  It  is  the 
head  they  carry,  and  their  quickness  in  turning  with 
the  scent  or  recovering  it  when  lost,  which  constitute 
the  pace.  This  is,  no  doubt,  a  subject  on  which  it 
is  rather  hazardous  to  express  an  opinion ;  but  those  of 
the  present  day  are  decidedly  best  adapted  for  our 
purposes.  The  number  of  foxes  killed  by  any  particu- 
lar pack  of  hounds  affords  no  criterion  of  the  sport  they 
have  enjoyed.  I  cannot  subscribe  to  the  opinion  that  a 
slow  hound  shall  be  capable  of  hunting  a  colder  scent 
than  a  fast  one.  Perhaps  speed  may  inculcate  the  idea 
of  impetuosity,  and  thus  if  a  fast  hound  will  not  take 
time  to  feel  for  and  make  out  a  cold  scent,  he  may  be 


EXTRAORDINARY   RUNS  275 

deficient  in  that  respect,  which  is  more  the  result  of 
temper  and  management  than  capacity.  There  is 
always  a  distinction  to  be  made  between  a  fast  hound 
and  a  quick  one.  The  hound  which  is  quick  in  turning 
with  the  scent  and  hitting  it  off  after  a  check  will  get 
nearer  to  his  fox  than  one  that  may  be  individually 
more  speedy,  if  the  latter  is  not  quick  in  his  work.  A 
slow  hound,  even  if  he  be  able  to  hunt  a  cold  scent,  must 
always  labour  under  this  disadvantage  :  not  being  able 
to  get  forward  with  it  so  speedily  when  running  there 
must  be  a  great  probability  of  its  dying  away  when  a 
fox  makes  for  a  distant  point. 

As  specimens  of  the  stoutness  occasionally  evinced 
by  hounds  and  foxes  the  two  following  accounts  of  runs 
are  in  all  probability  unequalled  in  the  annals  of  fox 
hunting.  The  first  was  with  the  Bel  voir  hounds,  the 
other  with  Lord  Drumlanrig's ;  and  the  communication 
was  from  his  lordship  to  the  Editor  of  BeWs  Life. 
There  are  just  eighteen  years  between  the  date  of  the 
two,  and  the  run  with  Lord  Drumlanrig's  hounds 
serves  to  corroborate  my  remarks  respecting  the  stout- 
ness and  superiority  of  mountain  foxes. 

On  Tuesday,  December  18th,  1833,  the  Duke  of 
Rutland's  hounds  met  at  Newton  Toll-bar,  the  wind 
south-west  and  the  atmosphere  cold.  A  little  before 
twelve  the  hounds  were  thrown  into  Falkingham  Gorse, 
which  held  a  varmint  old  fox  that  for  three  seasons 
had  beaten  this  pack  over  the  same  line  of  country,  and 
was  still  left  to  beat  them  again.  Almost  at  the  first 
dash  of  the  hounds  into  covert,  he  broke  gallantly 
*  away,'  and  was  viewed  with  his  head  pointing  for  his 
accustomed  line,  and  "  Now  for  the  Fens,"  was  reiter- 
ated through  the  field.  He  went  away  at  a  rattling 
pace  with  the  hounds  almost  close  to  his  brush, 
passing  Threckingham  Town-end  near  the  Lincoln 
road,  on  to  Spanby  and  Swaton  Bridge-end,  turned  to 
Thorpe  Latimer  for  Car  Dyke,  up  to  which  point  Lord 
Forester,  Messrs.  Charles  and  Robert  Manners,  Mr. 
Housman,  and   a   few   others,   were   well  up  with  the 


276  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

hounds,  but  the  dyke  proved  a  stopper.  Mr.  Willerton 
was  the  only  gentleman  who  crossed  the  dyke,  which 
he  accomplished  with  great  difficulty.  The  others 
made  for  a  place  that  was  fordable,  and  after  losing  a 
considerable  space  of  time  got  on  to  the  line,  when 
inquiries  were  made  which  way  the  hounds  had  gone. 
"  Straight  away,  and  only  one  gentleman  with  them," 
was  the  answer,  and  all  put  forward  at  best  pace, 
hoping  a  check  would  let  them  in.  A  more  formidable 
place  than  the  Car  Dyke  then  presented  itself,  the 
Helpringham  Eau,  a  deep  bottomless  drain,  some  fifty 
feet  wide.  Mr.  Willerton  crossed  this  also,  but  the 
hounds  were  out  of  sight.  The  second  whip  followed 
Mr.  Willerton's  example,  and  with  the  exception  of 
Goosey  and  Mr.  Tindle,  who,  after  riding  some  two 
hours  and  a  half  in  the  direction  of  Boston,  came  up 
with  the  hounds  at  last :  no  one  else  saw  anything  of 
the  run.  Goosey  got  to  his  hounds  just  as  it  was 
getting  dark,  and  being  then  thirty-four  miles  from 
home  in  a  strange  country,  thought  it  prudent  to  whip 
off,  and  reached  the  kennel  about  half-past  one  the 
next  morning.  During  the  last  half-hour  the  fox  was 
never  above  ten  minutes  before  the  hounds,  and 
latterly  they  were  frequently  in  the  same  field  together. 
He  was  one  of  the  coolest  hands  ever  known ;  and  after 
crossing  one  of  the  fen  drains  he  was  seen  to  go  into  a 
stackyard  and  rub  his  sides  against  a  stack,  starting 
off  as  soon  as  he  heard  the  hounds  approaching.  When 
they  whipped  off  he  was  not  five  minutes  before  them ; 
and  took  up  his  quarters  that  night  in  a  shed  within 
two  hundred  yards  of  the  place.  The  distance  was 
thirty-seven  miles  from  point  to  point  without  any 
turnings,  and  considering  all  things  could  not  be  less 
than  forty-five  miles.  The  run  lasted  three  hours  and 
thirty-seven  minutes,  with  only  three  or  four  short 
checks. 

Comment  is  unnecessary;  it  serves  to  show  what 
hounds  can  do  by  themselves  on  a  good-scenting  day 
when  unmolested  bv  a  crowd  of  horsemen. 


WITH    LORD   DRUMLANRIG'S  277 

We  have  here  another  example  of  a  similar  kind,  of 
more  recent  date. 

A  runaway  Run  in  the  Hills  of  Dumfriesshire. 

"  Mr.  Editor, 

"  Mr.  Smith  has  said  that  there  are  foxes 
who  will  beat  any  hounds  in  any  country;  and  it  was 
Mr.  Delme  Radcliffe,  I  believe,  who,  without  flatly 
contradicting  Mr.  Smith,  expressed  a  wish  that  some  of 
his  friends  might  be  allowed  to  tackle  these  long- 
striding  customers,  and  try  their  chance  with  them 
before  subscribing  to  so  startling  a  doctrine.  I  am  too 
young  a  hand,  and  I  have  yet  too  much  to  learn  in  the 
*  noble  science  '  to  decide  between  such  great  author- 
ities ;  but  I  had  yesterday  (and  I  wish  they  had  both 
been  with  me)  over  the  wildest  and  over  the  best- 
scenting  country  I  know  of  in  the  world,  a  run,  con- 
sidering all  that  occurred,  the  most  extraordinary  I 
not  only  ever  rode  to,  but  ever  heard  of  in  the  annals 
of  fox-hunting.  I  am  induced  to  send  you  the 
following  particulars  as  a  tribute  not  to  what  the  riders 
did,  but  as  a  tribute  which  is  fairly  due  to  what  a  fox 
really  can  do  when  found  in  a  strange  country,  and 
when  determined  to  go  home. 

"  Our  meet  was  Carmichael,  the  extreme  west 
fixture  in  the  country.  The  morning  was  very  misty, 
and  it  was  nearly  twelve  o'clock  before  the  hounds 
were  put  into  cover.  We  did  not  find  at  Carmichael, 
and  went  back  three  miles  to  the  Barr  Cover,  a  small 
larch  wood  of  about  seven  acres  on  the  side  of  a  steep 
hill,  but  which  always  holds  a  fox.  We  found  instanter. 
I  viewed  the  fox  away,  and  the  hounds  coming  handy 
to  my  holloa,  were  settled  well  on  him  before  he  had 
three  minutes'  start  of  us.  I  looked  at  my  watch ;  it 
pointed  to  twenty  minutes  past  one  o'clock.  At  four 
o'clock  the  same  evening,  five  and  twenty  miles  off,  as 
direct  as  the  crow  flies,  my  hounds  were  last  seen;  and, 
from  all  I  can  learn,  they  were  carrying  a  good  head 
beyond  Durrisdeer,  near  Sanquhar,  going  right  in  the 
direction  of  the  Lead  Hills. 

"  I  can  give  little  or  no  description  of  the  run.  I  had 
two  horses  out,  and  I  rode  both  of  them  to  a  stand- 
still before  reaching  Lock  Katterick,  twelve  miles  from 


278  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

deficient  in  that  respect,  which  is  more  the  result  of 
whip,  and  Mr.  Bordell,  from  Dumfries,  got  thus  far, 
but  no  farther.  If  ever  the  hounds  checked,  it  was  un- 
known to  me ;  for  after  the  first  twenty  minutes  neither 
I  nor  any  one  was  within  a  mile  of  them.  Indeed,  had 
it  not  been  for  the  sheep  we  should  never  have  guessed 
their  line  even ;  our  first  field  was  a  plough  field — a 
good  long  one  it  was — but  after  that  heather  and  grass 
every  yard  of  the  way — right  through  the  hills  we 
went :  but  the  hills  were  not  steep,  and  had  this  run 
been  in  March  or  in  October  no  better  galloping  ground 
could  have  been  wished  for ;  after  the  wet  weather,  how- 
ever, it  was  very  sticky. 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  if  the  hounds  killed.  I  cannot 
tell  you  even  where  they  ran  to.  I  know  not  even  if 
ever  I  shall  see  them  all  again.  My  whip  and  I  slept  at 
Thornhill  last  night :  and  we  have  been  all  day  blowing 
our  horns  on  the  hills— and  have  recovered  six  couples 
of  hounds — the  rest  of  them  may  have  returned  to  the 
kennels  thirty  miles  off.  We  start  for  there  at  nine 
o'clock  to-night.  Not  only  is  it,  I  think,  a  great  feat 
for  a  fox,  with  only  three  minutes'  start,  to  have 
reached  a  country  five  and  twenty  miles  off  in  less  than 
three  hours,  but  when  on  the  hills  to-day  we  were 
shown  by  the  shepherds  (and  they  could  have  had  no 
object  in  telling  an  untruth)  a  positive  precipice,  what 
we  call  in  Scotland  a  scan,  up  which  the  fox  and 
hounds  went.  Camp  Cleuch  was  the  name  of  the  place. 
This  scan  is  full  of  earths,  and  it  was  natural  to  sup- 
pose that  this  was  the  fox's  point  from  the  commence- 
ment of  his  journey,  since  he  went  to  it  at  all.  But  it 
appears  that  afterwards  this  same  fox  or  a  fresh  fox 
came  down  into  the  low  country  again ;  at  any  rate  the 
hounds  did,  and  they  were  last  seen,  or  rather  heard, 
running  past  Durrisdeer,  three  miles  beyond  Camp 
Cleuch. 

"  I  believe,  without  vanity,  that  so  extraordinary  a 
feat  for  a  fox  to  perform  deserves  to  be  chronicled,  and 
this  is  my  sole  object :  from  what  I  hear  of  my  hounds 
they  carried  a  head  and  did  their  best — angels  could  do 
no  more.  Recollect  that  our  fox  did  not  steal  away, 
but  was  pressed  from  the  very  beginning  of  the  run; 
and  I  may  add  that  so  small  a  fox  was  he  that  I  re- 
marked to  a  farmer  who  was  near  me,  soon  after  he 
broke  cover,  '  This  is  only  a  cub,  and    if   he   attempts 


WITH    LORD   DRUMLANRIG'S  279 

the  moor  country,  we  shall  run  into  him  directly  ! '  If 
ever  I  recover  my  hounds  and  have  another  run,  I  will 
let  you  know. 

Drumlanrig." 

Thornhill,  Saturday,  December  20,  1851." 

*'  Mr.  Editor, 

"  I  am  well  aware  that  it  is  not  the  usual 
practice  for  a  M.F.H.  to  publish  himself  the  feats 
performed  in  his  own  country'  or  by  his  own  hounds ; 
but  I  trust  that  in  this  single  instance  a  conscientious 
desire  to  do  full  justice  to  the  gallant  heart  and  to  the 
powers  of  endurance  which  on  Friday  last  were  so 
wonderfully  exhibited  by  our  Barr  Cover  fox  in  his 
flight  into  Nithsdale,  may  plead  successfully  against 
imputation  either  of  vanity  or  presumption  on  my  part. 
Peace  be  to  his  manes!  for  he  lived  not  to  tell  his  own 
tale,  but  died  on  the  banks  of  the  River  Nith,  five 
miles  from  the  town  of  Sanquhar.  Eheu  quorum  pars 
non  Jul!  I  only  heard  this  last  crowning  piece  of  news 
to-day,  having  returned  into  that  part  of  the  country 
in  search  of  two  hounds  who  are  still  missing.  The 
rest,  I  may  mention,  all  made  their  appearance  at  the 
kennel  between  six  and  eleven  o'clock  the  day  after  the 
run.  My  first  whip  and  I  have  ridden  the  run  back- 
wards since  this  morning;  at  least  enough  of  the 
ground  (by  the  help  of  a  road  which  runs  for  several 
miles  parallel  to  the  line  we  went  on  Friday)  to  have 
gained  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  country  gone  over, 
both  as  regards  its  nature  and  its  extent.  I  have  lived 
in  Dumfriesshire  all  my  life,  and  I  remember  five 
different  packs  of  hounds  here ;  but  I  neither  myself 
ever  crossed  this  part  of  the  country  before,  nor  does 
the  oldest  inhabitant,  as  far  as  I  can  discover,  recollect 
seeing  or  hearing  of  hounds  crossing  it  beyond  the  first 
six  miles  of  our  run. 

"  I  believe  on  my  word  that  this  run  can  hardly  be 
paralleled.  The  hounds — five  or  six  couple  of  them  at 
least — were  settled  well  on  their  fox  while  he  was  still 
in  my  view.  I  can  swear  that  for  the  first  six  miles 
they  never  checked  for  one  single  instant ;  after  that  I 
am  hardly  an  authority ;  for,  getting  a  fall  over  a  stone 
wall,  I  lost  sight  of  them,  and  never  was  able  again  to 
recover  my  lost  ground.  Mr.  Charles  Hope  Johnston, 
and    Joseph    Graham,  the  first    whip — who   passed   me 


280  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

while  on  the  ground — from  that  point  continued  to 
lead,  but  saw  little  more  of  the  hounds  than  I  did ;  but 
I  have  spoken  to  several  shepherds  and  farmers  on  my 
way  home  to-day,  and,  except  for  about  half  a  minute, 
I  have  no  evidence — indeed,  strong  presumptive  evi- 
dence to  the  contrary — that  the  hounds  ever  checked  at 
all.  The  fox  was  killed  in  the  River  Nith,  two  miles 
above  Durrisdeer,  and  this  latter-named  place  is  as  the 
crow  flies  more  than  twenty  miles  from  the  Barr  Cover. 
There  were  two  bends  in  the  run — one  a  sweep  round 
by  the  left  in  the  early  part  of  the  run,  as  if  going  to 
Dalswinton,  a  common  line  for  a  fox  to  take  in  this  part 
of  the  country ;  then,  changing  his  mind,  or  at  any  rate 
his  course,  he  held  on  upwards  :  many  miles  further  on 
after  passing  Queensbury,  and  upon  entering  the  Duke 
of  Buccleuch's  property,  he  dodged  round  a  farm-house, 
tried  to  enter  some  sheds,  and  failing  in  such  attempts, 
he  turned  in  full  view  both  of  hounds  and  several  farm- 
servants,  and  went  right  up  a  steep  mountain  called 
Camp  Cleuch.  Here  they  disappeared ;  but  presently 
returned  into  the  low  country  over  the  far  shoulder  of 
this  mountain,  about  two  miles  off,  and  in  full  view  of 
the  herd  on  this  farm ;  from  thence  they  held  on  to 
Durrisdeer,  where  both  fox  and  hounds  were  seen  by  a 
Mr.  Dickson,  who  declares  that  they  were  running  in 
view.  It  was,  however,  ten  miles  further  on,  in  the 
actual  bed  of  the  River  Nith,  that  the  hounds  were 
seen  eating  this  truly  gallant  fox — Quseque  ipsa  non 
vidi.  The  clergyman's  son  was  passing  by  on  the  high 
road,  and  is  my  informant  on  this  most  truly  grand 
announcement.     May  I  not  say,  finis  coronal  opus? 

"Now  for  the  time ;  it  was,  as  I  said  in  my  last, 
exactly  by  my  watch  twenty  minutes  after  one  o'clock 
when  I  viewed  the  fox  away.  I  was  told  the  next 
morning  that  at  four  o'clock  the  hounds  were  last  seen 
running  past  Durrisdeer.  It  was,  however,  as  I  well 
remember,  very  dark  at  four  o'clock  according  to  my 
watch;  and  on  further  inquiry,  I  am  positively  told  by 
the  Duke  of  Buccleuch's  gamekeeper  among  others, 
that  the  day  was  still  quite  clear  when  the  hounds 
passed  that  place.  It  must  consequently  have  been 
rather  under  the  two  hours  and  a  half  from  the  find  at 
the  Barr  Cover  to  the  kill  in  the  Nith,  half  way  be- 
tween Thornhill  and  Sanquhar,  and  I  am  prepared  to 
prove   that    the   ground    gone   over   is    as  near,  if  not 


WITH    LORD  DRUMLANRIG'S  281 

nearer  thirty,  than  five  and  twenty  miles.  As  to  the 
nature  of  the  ground,  it  was  perfection  for  hounds ; 
heather,  and  green  grassy  hills ;  with  the  exception  of 
the  Camp  Cleuch,  there  was  little  or  no  steep  ground 
gone  over.  Had  this  run  taken  place  in  the  month  of 
March,  when  the  moors  are  dry,  no  true  lover  of  a  wild, 
real  fox-hunting  run  need,  with  a  thorough-bred  horse, 
have  desired,  even  for  mere  riding's  sake,  a  greater 
treat ;  as  it  was,  the  recent  rain  had  made  the  hills  very 
sticky.  And  now,  Mr.  Editor,  farewell.  I  have  en- 
deavoured to  do  full  credit  to  the  memory  and  to  the 
stout  heart  of  this  most  extraordinary  fox ;  his  equals 
have,  I  venture  to  submit,  been  rarely  known.  Floreat 
scientia — esto  perpetua. 

Drumlanrig." 

Glen  Stuart,  Monday. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE    OBJECTS    OF    HUNTING 

When  hunting  was  first  adopted  by  man  it  was  un- 
deniably for  the  purpose  of  procuring  food,  subsequently 
for  the  destruction  of  ferocious  beasts ;  and  experience 
soon  added  another  and  not  less  interesting  motive. 
However  necessary  the  possession  of  the  precious  metal 
is  to  procure  the  blandishments  of  social  life,  without 
health  the  possessor  is  not  in  a  condition  to  appreciate 
and  enjoy  the  boon.  The  discovery  was  made  in  very 
early  times  that  strong  exercise  was  essential  to  the 
promotion  of  bodily  health  and  vigour.  It  is  reasonable 
to  presume  that  in  all  ages  those  who  were  not  com- 
pelled to  labour  for  their  daily  existence  required 
some  stimulus  to  exertion,  and  although  the  ancient 
inhabitants  of  Great  Britain  had  not  to  contend  against 
many  of  the  evils  which  accompany  luxurious  in- 
dulgence, yet  the  science  of  medicine  was  but  imper- 
fectly understood.  Hence  the  energetic  engagements 
of  the  chase  were  earnestly  recommended  as  an  anti- 
dote to  plethoric  disorders  by  the  earliest  writers  upon, 
and  advocates  of,  the  soul-stirring  amusement. 
Whether  a  man  reposes  under  the  conviction  that  he 
follows  the  chase  inspired  only  with  the  pure  love  of 
sport — whether  he  is  actuated  by  the  influential  sway 
of  fashion  or  whether  he  adopts  the  life  of  a  sportsman 
ostensibly  for  the  promotion  of  his  health — still  the 
object  is  attained,  and  each  devotee  to  the  chaste 
goddess  is  at  the  same  time  courting  Hygeia  according 
to  the  most  pleasing  interpretation  of  his  own  fancy. 

The  sportsman's  season  may  be  dated  from  the  12th 
of  August,  commencing  with  grouse  shooting,  to  which 


CUB-HUNTING  283 

deer-stalking  and  fishing  may  be  claimed  as  auxiliaries. 
The  gay  attractions  of  the  metropolis  have  lost  their 
charms,  and  all  who  have  the  power  have  assuredly 
the  will  to  quit  that  murky  atmosphere  and  feast  their 
appetite  on  rural  pastimes.  Cub-hunting  usually  com- 
mences about  the  same  period  as  grouse-shooting;  but 
it  is  a  sport  in  which  few  of  the  present  day  are  dis- 
{xjsed  to  join.  Does  not  this  rather  denote  that  our 
grandsires  were  more  devoted  to  sylvan  pleasures  than 
the  present  generation,  when  the  former  would  brave 
the  inclemency  of  a  dreary,  peradventure  tempestuous, 
ride  to  covert  on  a  dark  morning  in  December,  in  order 
to  commence  operations  at  break  of  day  ?  Yet  few  will 
now  arise  from  their  couch  to  greet  the  sun  in  all  his 
splendour  on  a  beautiful  autumnal  morning.  The  truth 
is  that  our  habits  have  changed,  and  inclinations  are 
extensively  subservient  to  habits.  The  avocations  of 
shooting  and  numerous  other  engagements  afford 
legitimate  pretexts  for  the  sportsman  of  1853  not  at- 
tending to  the  tutelage  of  the  merry  pack  during  their 
probationary  course  of  cub-hunting.  It  must  also  be 
observed  that  there  is  now  a  diversity  of  amusements 
open  to  the  enjoyment  of  all  who  are  fortunate  enough 
to  possess  the  means  of  paying  for  them.  Yachting 
ranks  among  the  most  attractive,  and  with  fair 
weather  the  month  of  September  and  part  of  October 
may  be  passed  agreeably  on  the  sea-coast. 

There  are  several  reasons  why  cub-hunting  is  not  a 
favourite  amusement  with  every  man  who  at  a  more 
advanced  season  is  devotedly  attached  to  fox-hunting. 
The  most  extensive  woodlands  are  selected,  for  the 
purpose  of  driving  the  foxes  from  their  strongholds, 
and  by  frequently  disturbing  them  in  those  quarters 
induce  them  to  resort  to  the  small  coverts  which,  being 
kept  scrupulously  quiet,  are  to  be  regarded  as  certain 
places  of  finding  when  the  season  is  more  advanced. 
Another  object  being  that  of  killing  the  cubs,  the  old 
foxes  are  permitted  to  break  away,  while  the  juveniles 
are  headed  back.       Such  woodland  pastime  does  not 


284  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

assimilate  with  the  taste  of  hard  riders,  who  desire 
nothing  but  a  burst  over  the  open;  and  the  fox-hunter 
who  comes  out  for  fashion's  sake  must  necessarily 
repudiate  such  practices.  The  fields  are  therefore 
numerically  small  and  exclusively  select,  consisting 
principally  of  the  master  of  the  hounds,  obviously 
anxious  to  watch  the  expanding  instinct  of  his  young 
entry.  A  few  true  devotees  of  the  chase,  and  probably 
a  farmer  or  two  residing  in  the  neighbourhood,  usually 
form  the  little  group. 

Those  who  confine  their  hunting  generally  to  one 
pack  of  hounds  naturally  acquire  an  interest  in  all 
their  proceedings.  As  the  soldier  describes  the  glorious 
achievements  of  the  regiment  to  which  he  belongs,  so 
does  the  sportsman  proudly  boast  of  the  prowess  of  the 
pack  which  he  identifies  as  that  to  which  he  belongs  : 
and  each  makes  the  distinction  from  all  others  as  our 
regiment  and  our  hounds.  With  them  much  gratifica- 
tion is  obtained  in  cub-hunting;  they  participate  with 
the  master  in  the  promising  conduct  of  the  rising 
generation.  The  first  touch  on  the  horn  or  the  first 
challenge  of  the  hound  is  sufficient  to  awaken  them 
from  their  slumbers ;  they  enter  into  the  sport  with 
enthusiasm  and  delight.  Every  year,  and  every  season 
of  the  year,  opens  with  a  series  of  anticipations  con- 
templative of  forthcoming  destinies  which  await  the 
pleasures,  the  interests,  and  the  vicissitudes  which  are 
in  store.  The  sportsman  entertains  sanguine  hopes 
that  the  foxes  are  plentiful,  that  the  young  hounds  will 
enter  favourably,  and  that  a  good-scenting  season  will 
assist  them  in  the  development  of  their  powers. 

The  approach  of  the  hunting-season  brings  to  new 
life  a  host  of  pleasing  engagements  and  joyful  expecta- 
tions. The  daily  progress  of  the  hunter's  condition  as 
the  time  draws  near  is  a  source  of  interest  ahke  with 
those  who  are  enabled  to  keep  large  studs  and  those 
who  are  compelled  to  confine  their  limits  to  a 
single  horse.  Possibly  it  proves  an  excuse  for  a  brief 
visit  to  the  metropolis  to  replenish  the  wardrobe,  the 


OPENING  FIXTURES  285 

saddlery  department,  or  other  of  the  sportsman's 
requisites,  which  the  last  season's  campaign  had 
rendered  unfit  for  actual  service. 

I  am  unable  to  discover  the  custom  which  was 
adopted  by  the  great  Mr.  Meynell  of  bidding  welcome 
to  the  first  day  of  the  season,  and  am  therefore  led  to 
the  conclusion  that  there  was  no  general  rule  observed ; 
but  it  has  been  the  practice  for  many  years  with  the 
Quom  Hounds  to  meet  at  Kirby  Gate  on  the  first 
Monday  in  November.  It  is  a  glorious  sight  and  worth 
going  a  long  distance  to  enjoy,  when  the  best  horses, 
belonging  to  the  best  men  in  the  best  country  in 
England  are  in  attendance.  Can  there  be  a  man  whose 
soul  is  so  inanimate  as  not  to  be  aroused  by  such  a 
gladsome  festival }  If  there  be  one  in  this  unhappy 
condition  I  would  beseech  him,  as  he  loves  himself,  his 
kindred,  and  his  country,  to  hie  him  to  the  joyful  cry. 
It  will  dispel  his  lethargic  dreams,  elevate  his  hopes, 
beguile  his  cares,  and  render  his  temper  gracious.  At 
the  time  when  Mr.  Corbet  hunted  Warwickshire  it  was 
customary  for  the  members  of  the  club  to  meet  at  their 
head-quarters,  Stratford-on-Avon,  on  the  first  Monday 
in  November ;  and  on  that  day  the  Lord  Willoughby 
de  Broke  tendered  his  hospitalities  to  a  numerous 
party  at  dinner.  It  was  an  example  worthy  of  imita- 
tion, and  added  much  grace  to  the  auspicious  occasion. 

The  hospitable  mansion  Tidworth  House  is  thrown 
open  by  Mr.  T.  A.  Smith  on  the  first  regular  hunting- 
day  in  the  respective  seasons.  To  say  that  it  equals 
Kirby  Gate  in  the  exhibition  of  the  equestrian  order 
would  be  a  transgression  of  the  truth,  for  the  sur- 
rounding country  does  not  contain  or  require  such 
studs ;  but  the  canine  members  of  this  celebrated 
establishment  cannot  be  excelled,  and  it  is  a  treat  of 
which  every  sportsman  should  avail  himself  if  within 
reach.  Every  visitor  is  welcomed  and  ushered  through 
the  magnificently  appointed  rooms,  where  a  repast  is  laid 
out  of  everything  tempting  to  the  appetite  and  gratify- 
ing to  the  palate.     This  festival  usually  takes  place  on 


286  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

the  Thursday  which  falls  nearest  to  the  1st  of 
November.  A  splendid  conservatory  containing  choice 
plants  leads  from  the  house  to  the  stables,  which  are  on 
these  occasions  thrown  open  for  the  inspection  of  the 
visitors.  There  is  a  covered  ride,  appropriated  to  the 
use  of  the  stud  in  bad  weather,  rather  more  than  a 
furlong  in  extent — a.  convenience  of  great  advantage ; 
and  everything  which  wealth  and  good  judgment  can 
suggest  is  carefully  provided  both  for  hounds  and  horses. 

A  similar  practice  was  observed  by  the  late  Sir  John 
Cope  during  the  time  he  hunted  the  Bramshill  country, 
and  is  still  continued  by  his  successor  Mr.  Wheble. 

Gloomy  associations  are  wont  to  be  connected  with 
the  month  of  November ;  but  the  pleasures  of  the  chase 
are  well  calculated  to  remove  them.  The  cheering 
sound  of  the  horn  rouses  the  sportsman  from  his  reverie, 
and  gives  new  life  to  his  soul.  ''  The  echoing  hills  and 
chiding  hounds  invite;"  and  fox-hunting  dispels  all  our 
cares.  Wonderful  changes  have  taken  place  within  the 
last  few  years  in  our  social  policy.  Trade  has  flourished 
to  an  unprecedented  extent ;  and  the  enjoyments  of  the 
chase  are  available  among  a  vast  number  of  her  Majesty's 
liege  subjects  who  in  former  days  were  precluded  from 
participating  in  the  amusement.  None  have  derived 
greater  benefit  from  these  changes  than  those  whose 
inclinations  or  occupations  involve  the  necessity  of  a 
residence  in  the  metropolis.  Nothing  can  more  effectu- 
ally minister  to  their  health  and  pleasure  than  fox- 
hunting. It  is  an  acceptable  relaxation  from  daily 
occupations ;  and  the  clear  atmosphere  of  the  country 
is  an  agreeable  change  for  the  murky  clouds  of  London. 

When  railways  were  first  introduced  grave  forebodings 
were  expressed  that  they  would  be  the  cause  of  exter- 
minating fox-hunting,  and  several  masters  of  hounds 
expressed  their  intentions  of  giving  up  their  establish- 
ments ;  intentions  which,  it  is  almost  needless  to  observe, 
have  not  in  any  one  instance  been  put  into  effect.  Fears 
were  anticipated  that  foxes  would  run  the  line,  and  the 
hounds  following  them,  in  the  event  of  a  train  coming 


FOXES    AND    RAILWAYS  287 

at  the  time,  that  the  whole  pack  would  be  destroyed. 
These  apprehensions  were  fortunately  groundless,  for 
the  railways  are  lines  which  foxes  repudiate.  The 
principal  effect  which  railroads  produce  is  causing  foxes 
to  run  short;  for  they  are  not  even  partial  to  crossing 
them,  and  I  have  observed  several  instances  of  their 
running  parallel  with  the  railroads  when  not  hard 
pressed.  The  accommodations  which  railways  afford 
are  more  than  commensurate  with  the  evils;  and  a  fox- 
hunter  desirous  to  do  so  may  vary  the  scene  of  his 
venatic  pleasures  with  great  ease  and  at  a  comparatively 
trifling  cost;  not  forgetting,  however,  to  be  provided 
with  a  change  of  clothes,  to  be  put  on  before  he  returns 
after  the  day's  sport.  Nothing  is  more  conducive  to 
rheumatic  affections  and  colds  than  travelling  in  any 
kind  of  carriage  without  changing  the  dress.  Even  if 
there  has  not  been  any  rain  to  wet  the  garments,  the 
perspiration  produced  by  the  exertion  of  riding  causes 
a  dampness  peculiarly  disagreeable  and  dangerous. 

Unaccustomed  to  exercise,  the  human  frame  is  not 
in  a  state  to  bear  even  moderate  efforts  without  fatigue. 
Condition  is  of  great  importance  to  man,  and  those  who 
lead  sedentary  lives  will  find  it  greatly  conducive  to 
their  convenience  if  they  will  undergo  some  probationary 
work  prior  to  the  commencement  of  the  hunting  season. 
Shooting  for  those  who  have  the  inclination  and  oppor- 
tunity to  engage  in  it  is  an  excellent  introduction. 
Without  strong  exercise  the  body  soon  accumulates  a 
deposit  of  fat,  in  every  respect  opposed  to  quick  and 
laborious  pursuits,  and  in  a  state  of  comparative  in- 
activity the  muscles  lose  much  of  their  power.  Fasting 
to  the  excess  which  jockeys  practise  is  not  necessary  to 
enjoy  the  privileges  of  the  hunting-field,  unless  for  per- 
sons who  have  become  corpulent  and  unwieldy.  To 
those  it  may  be  recommended  as  decidedly  advan- 
tageous, but  a  few  walks  in  two  or  three  extra  flannel 
waistcoats,  and  proportionate  abstemious  living  pre- 
viously to  taking  the  field,  will  be  found  highly  con- 
ducive to  condition  and  the  perfect  enjoyment  of  the 


288  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

chase.  I  offer  this  suggestion  with  the  greatest  con- 
fidence from  my  own  experience.  When  Heaton  Park 
races  were  in  fashion,  I  was  always  in  the  habit  of 
reducing  myself  to  ride  the  light  weights,  after  which  I 
kept  myself  in  condition  till  the  hunting  season  com- 
menced, and  I  experienced  the  benefit  of  doing  so.  It 
will  be  generally  conceded  that  when  a  man  is  oppressed 
with  fatigue  much  of  the  pleasure  which  he  may  derive 
from  any  amusement  is  considerably  diminished.  One 
who  is  accustomed  to  dancing  experiences  no  incon- 
venience on  the  following  day;  while  those  who  are  out 
of  practice  can  scarcely  move.  And  thus  it  is  with 
horse  exercise.  Unless  a  man  is  constantly  in  the 
saddle,  or  taking  other  strong  exercise,  the  first  day's 
hunting  tires  him  exceedingly.  Perhaps  many  sports- 
men may  exclaim  against  restriction  on  their  appetites 
for  the  sake  of  hunting,  but  those  who  will  not  refrain 
from  luxurious  indulgences  must  be  content  to  com- 
promise their  enjoyments  in  other  ways.  A  simple 
light  dinner  with  two  or  three  glasses  of  wine  after 
hunting  prepares  a  man  for  the  following  day,  when  he 
arises  fresh  and  vigorous ;  whereas  a  rich  repast  with  an 
abundance  of  wine  or  spirits  occasions  indigestion,  head- 
ache, and  nervous  debility,  in  which  state  no  man  can 
enjoy  himself,  much  less  is  he  in  a  comfortable  con- 
dition to  ride  over  a  country. 

The  expenses  attendant  upon  keeping  hounds  do  not 
appear  to  have  varied  greatly  for  many  years.  An 
alteration  in  the  price  of  horse  provender  naturally 
makes  some  difference,  but  not  to  any  great  extent. 
There  are  so  many  little  items  which  a  master  of 
hounds  has  to  provide  for,  which  do  not  fluctuate.  At 
the  present  period,  the  number  of  fox-hunting  establish- 
ments kept  up  in  England  and  Wales,  according  to  the 
list  at  page  272,  amounts  to  ninety-six ;  there  may  be 
a  few  more,  but  they  are  unimportant  ones.  To  show 
the  increase  :  in  1830  sixty-eight  packs  of  hounds  were 
compounded  for;  in  1850  eighty-four,  according  to  the 
returns  of  assessed  taxes.       Some  of  these  are  main- 


COST   OF  HOUNDS  289 

tained  with  princely  magnificence  at  an  expense  not 
under  £3500  or  £4000  per  annum.  The  average  may 
be  estimated  at  £1400  a  year,  which  makes  a  total  of 
£126,000,  circulated  through  the  medium  of  hounds 
and  horses.  That  is,  however,  a  trifle  compared  with 
the  expenditure  of  those  gentlemen  who  compose  the 
fields,  of  which  it  is  difficult  to  form  an  estimate.  The 
Yorkshire  Gazette  published  an  article  last  year  cal- 
culating that  there  were  one  thousand  hunting  men  in 
that  county,  keeping  on  an  average  four  horses  each, 
at  a  cost  of  £50  for  each  horse  per  annum.  It  appears 
a  high  estimate,  but  Yorkshire  is  a  great  horse- 
breeding  county  and  is  particularly  celebrated  for  its 
sportsmen.  Taking  one  country  with  another,  and 
averaging  the  number  of  horses  kept  in  each  for  the 
exclusive  purposes  of  hunting  at  one  hundred  and 
seventy — which  from  observation  and  the  best  data  I 
can  obtain  I  believe  to  be  near  the  mark — we  have 
fifteen  thousand  three  hundred  horses  employed  in  this 
service.  According  to  the  proportion  in  Yorkshire  this 
appears  to  be  a  very  low  computation ;  but  it  must  be 
remembered  that  many  of  the  two  days  a-week  packs 
are  not  in  populous  countries,  and  many  of  the  at- 
tendants upon  them  do  not  keep  more  than  a  single 
horse.  Calculating  the  keep  of  each  horse  at  £40  a 
year— still  below  the  Yorkshire  estimate — ^the  aggre- 
gate amount  will  be  £6800,  which,  added  to  £1400 
for  the  expenses  of  the  hounds,  causes  an  expenditure 
of  £8200  per  annum,  as  the  average  allowance  for  the 
ninety  packs,  which  is  circulated  in  the  agricultural 
districts.  To  this  may  be  added  a  host  of  contingent 
expenses  which  it  would  be  utterly  impossible  to  com- 
pute. 

In  everj'^  hunting  country,  and  with  the  exception  of 
the  mining  or  over-populous  districts,  there  are  very 
few  parts  of  England  which  are  not  hunted ;  the 
resident  farmers  or  other  persons  breeding,  rearing,  or 
purchasing  horses  likely  to  make  hunters  can,  if  kept 
in  condition,  always  command  remunerative  prices  for 
T 


290  RECORDS  OF  THE  CHASE 

them,  without  the  trouble  of  taking  them  from  home. 
If  they  cannot  sell  them  to  their  landlords  or  the 
gentlemen  who  hunt  in  the  country  they  can  to  the 
dealers,  who  are  always  on  the  look-out  for  horses  of 
character.  It  is  the  interest  of  every  landlord  and 
every  farmer,  whether  they  participate  in  the  pleasures 
of  the  chase  or  not,  to  promote  it  to  the  utmost  of  their 
ability.  Well-got  hay  and  well-harvested  oats  will 
always  command  a  higher  price  in  a  popular  hunting 
district  than  elsewhere.  The  farmers  will  sometimes 
say  that  gentlemen  generally  buy  their  oats  from  the 
dealers,  which  is  true,  but  then  the  dealers  buy  them 
from  the  farmers  who  grow  them,  and  there  is  a  reason 
why  the  custom  is  generally  most  convenient  to  the 
consumer.  He  can  have  them  from  the  dealer,  who 
keeps  a  stock,  in  any  quantity  and  at  any  time  he  may 
require  them ;  but  he  can  only  procure  them,  except  in 
a  few  instances,  from  the  farmer  when  it  suits  him  to 
thrash.  Farmers  also  argue  that  the  dealers  supply 
foreign  oats ;  but  he  is  a  bad  judge  who  ever  gives  his 
hunters  any  oats  that  have  been  shipped,  even  if  he 
buys  them  at  a  reduced  price. 

If  we  impartially  canvass  the  social  and  practical 
condition  of  the  chase,  together  with  all  its  attendant 
customs,  advantages,  and  interests,  we  must  come  to 
the  most  satisfactory  conclusions.  Since  fox-hunting 
has  been  established  as  a  national  amusement,  the 
present  facilities  for  participating  in  the  soul-stirring 
pursuit  have  never  been  exceeded,  I  may  justly  add, 
equalled.  Every  part  of  England  capable  of  affording 
sport  is  aroused  in  due  season  with  the  enlivening  sound 
of  horn  and  hound.  The  unfriendly  prejudice  which  at 
one  period  existed  among  a  few  preservers  of  game 
against  the  foxes  is  almost  obsolete.  Experience  has 
convinced  them  that  they  may  have  game  for  them- 
selves and  foxes  for  the  recreation  of  their  friends. 

It  has  long  since  been  determined  that  a  gentleman 
who  devotes  his  winter  mornings  to  fox-hunting  is  not 
on  that  account  an  unfit  companion  for  the  drawing- 


FLOREAT    SCIENTIA!  291 

room  in  the  evening.  Like  all  other  engagements  it 
must  be  subservient  to  change,  yet  it  does  not  follow 
that  the  changes  will  be  prejudicial ;  and  likewise  it 
may  be  subject  to  those  reactions  which  are  inseparable 
with  most  of  the  affairs  of  life.  But  withal  there  is 
reason  to  feel  convinced  that  fox-hunting  is  in  every 
respect  in  the  ascendant,  and  let  us  express  the  hope 
that  the  echoing  hills,  in  responding  to  the  welcome 
chorus  of  hounds  and  horn,  will  long  bear  testimony  to 
the  grateful  assurance. 


THE    END. 


